Double Trouble 4: Mew Returns
by Deliverer
Summary: After aiding Mondo on his first mission, Jessie, James, Butch, and Cassidy are given the chance to fix their track records. At Hun's suggestion, Giovanni has given them a mission to go after the mew Attila and Hun spotted in the Black Hills. The catch? They have to work together. Misadventure ensues, and soon they're getting to know more about one another than they ever wanted to.
1. A Mew Mission

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 **Double Trouble 4: Mew Returns**

A Mew Mission

Giovanni sat in his chair, summing up the four agents, and one pokémon, he was in council with; namely Butch, Cassidy, Jessie, James, and Meowth. He hummed, considering his words, then finally spoke. "Jessie, James, Meowth, your mission with Mondo was executed well, but one well-executed mission does not a success make." The three winced. "Jessie, do you know why I have tolerated your team's past failures time and time again?" Giovanni soon asked. She was silent. It was a rhetorical question and she wasn't to answer. "It's because your mother was one of the greatest operatives to have ever graced Team Rocket's ranks. I suspect that you have that potential somewhere in you too, but the more you let me down the less likely that appears to be."

"Yes boss," she muttered, wincing at the mention of her mother. James frowned at Giovanni but said nothing. He was no fool. At least not _that_ much of one.

"And you, Cassidy. The only reason I keep you here is because your team's success rate, by some miracle I can't fathom, is surprisingly _high_ ," Giovanni said.

"Yes boss," Cassidy grumbled, glaring down at the floor.

"Now…" he began, settling back in his seat. "Some time ago I proposed a mission to Attila and Hun. Due to their ordeal with Team Plasma, however, they're still in the recovery phase. They declined the task, or rather declined to handle it alone. However, as per Hun's suggestion—because I respect your superior's opinions very much—I've decided to give _you_ all the chance to take the opportunity to redeem yourselves."

" _Hun's_ suggestion?" Butch, Cassidy, Jessie, and Meowth asked all together in confusion. The four of them, and James, exchanged looks before snapping back to attention, saluting. "Yes boss!" they all said together. At least they weren't about to be fired or burned. Or they _hoped_ they weren't.

"Good. Attila and Hun returned from the Black Hills with reports of a mew sighting in that location. Perhaps the mew that your mother, Jessie, was pursuing before she… Suffice it to say, I want Team Rocket on this immediately," Giovanni said.

"We won't let you down, boss," Jessie and James said together, saluting again.

"Afraid you will, Jessie dear. Branden and I have this in the bag," Cassidy replied.

"It's _Butch_!" Butch yelled furiously. "How is it even possible to get Branden out of Butch?"

"Be glad she didn't use anudda word usually applied to female canines," Meowth said.

"Raticate!" Raticate exclaimed furiously, lunging at Meowth in defense of Butch.

Meowth scowled, dropping into a fighting position and protruding his claws. "Bring it on!" he challenged.

"Enough!" Giovanni yelled. "This is not a competition."

"What do you mean not a competition? If you're sending two teams after the same prize…" James began.

"I'm sending _one_ team after _one_ prize," Giovanni said, smirking slyly.

" _Now_ who's lost it? We can't… Oh no…" Butch said, eyes widening in realization as he paled. There was the briefest of pauses. The next second, they had all fallen to their knees begging and pleading for their boss not to punish them like this.

Giovanni was frankly surprised at all the alternatives they were willing to suffer before being stuck together; torture, solitary, suspension, getting fired, being held up to ridicule and shame and humiliation, being burned, and that was just to _start_. He looked coldly between the two pleading teams. Shaking his head and sighing, he face-palmed, feeling his stress levels skyrocketing. Some days... "Just take the pokémon you have stored here and go!"

Jessie and James immediately lit up. "Really?!" they asked in hope, eyes sparkling.

"Yes, go! Don't let me down," Giovanni ordered.

Jessie and James squealed in delight, dancing around excitedly, hardly able to wait to be reunited with the pokémon they'd stored in headquarters before Unova and since! All their old pokémon plus all their new? It would be a pokeparty! Butch and Cassidy sweat-dropped. Giovanni watched, less than impressed.

PKMN

"Let's see now. Seviper, Yanmega, Gourgeist, ooh this is so exciting!" Jessie said, grabbing the three pokeballs. She laughed, hugging them close and rocking them.

"Mime Jr, Carnivine, Inkay, this is the happiest day of my life!" James said, grinning widely and hugging his own close.

"Yeah? Great for you," Butch said.

"Now hurry up and let's get going," Cassidy agreed.

"Humph, fine," Jessie said. "Oh, we can't forget these." She reached into the tray of rapidash pokeballs that Attila and Hun had brought back, and handed Butch, Cassidy, and James one each before taking her own.

"Now let's get out dere and find ourselves a mew!" Meowth said, leaping up in the air. Quickly the group raced out to start on their way…

PKMN

Four rapidash came to a stop on a bluff overlooking an endless, breathtaking view. On their backs sat four riders, five counting the meowth seated in front of one of said four. The wind blew lightly against them, tossing their hair. Their gazes were set determinedly on the horizon. "This is _it_?" Butch asked incredulously.

"According to the report," Jessie confirmed.

"It's nothin' but hills and pasture and forest!" Butch said.

"A perfect location for a legendary pokémon tryin' ta hide," Meowth pointed out.

"Humph, let's just get down there and get this over with," Cassidy impatiently said, eager for the nightmare to end.

"I find it really quite beautiful," James remarked approvingly. It was certainly out of the way. Little would bother to bother the people who lived around these parts. Perhaps _this_ is where he should have run to escape Jessebelle. The others glared at him. "What?" he asked innocently.

"Whateva', let's just find Attila's uncle's place already. We don't got a lotta time before it's gonna be gettin' dark. Might as well make arrangements wit' de guy before he gets ta thinkin' we ain't comin'," Meowth said. Attila had arranged for them to be able to stay at his uncle's while they were here. It had taken a bit of convincing, so they'd best not inconvenience the man further than they had already just by being here.

"Perhaps we should stir up a little trouble in this humdrum place," Jessie remarked, eyes sparkling.

"Definitely," the others agreed immediately.

"Prepare for trouble," Jessie sang.

"Make it… well, this won't work," James remarked, looking around at the group and frowning, unimpressed. With quadruple they could hardly do the motto, and even if they used double to refer to double teams, their two mottos would have quite a time meshing together.

"Maybe if we combine our Sinnoh mottos?" Cassidy suggested.

"Well, it's worth a shot," Jessie agreed.

"Alright. Ahem… Listen, is that a voice I hear?" Jessie said.

"It's speaking to me loud and clear," James said.

"On the wind," Jessie said.

"Past the stars," James said.

"In your ear!" Meowth said.

"It's a shrieking whine, a blast from the past!" Cassidy said.

"Spinning like a Gyro Ball and moving fast!" Butch chimed.

"To the moon…" Cassidy added.

"And beyond…" Butch said.

"What a blast!" they all said together.

"Administering justice with lightning speed!" Cassidy said.

"Bashing the bad guys, should we feel the need," Butch continued.

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace," Jessie chimed.

"Dashing hope, putting fear in its place," James sang.

"So here's a newsflash from across the wire," Cassidy said.

"The real Team Rocket is now on fire!" Butch stated.

"Cassidy!"

"Butch!"

"Jessie."

"James."

"A rose by any other name is just as sweet," Jessie said.

"When everything's worse our work is complete," James stated.

"We're putting the do-gooders in their place," Cassidy said.

"The true Team Rocket," Butch said.

"In your face," they all said together.

"Meowth, dat's de truth!" Meowth said.

"Raticate!" Raticate finished.

"Hmm, could use some tweaking, but it ain't half bad," Butch mused, shrugging.

"It's what we have, if nothing else," Jessie agreed.

"Right. We can work on polishing it up later," Cassidy said.

"There's the ranch," James said to them, pointing and getting their attention back on the mission. They looked over and lit up a bit, grinning. Finally, home base. They rode their rapidash down and towards the ranch.

PKMN

It took them about half an hour to arrive at the destination. The sun was setting, and it was getting dark. They were tired from the long trip, so it was a relief to see a supposedly friendly place. They dismounted their steeds and led them to a barn nearby, putting them in for the night. They exited said barn and looked towards the ranch. "Ready for this?" Butch asked.

"Here's hoping Attila did his job and our arrival isn't going to be too much a surprise to this uncle of his," Cassidy said.

The four humans, and two pokémon, approached the front door. Jessie reached out, knocking. They stood a bit nervously, hoping the man was home. After a moment they heard footsteps, then the door creaked open. They found themselves staring up at a large man, a good balance of muscle and fat. His blonde hair was greying, and he eyed them with wary suspicion. They could see the family resemblance between him and Attila. He had the same build, more or less, and the same hair and a few of the same facial features. The man finished eyeing them up and met their gazes. "I suppose you four are my nephew's coworkers from Vanni Corp?" he asked.

James swallowed and answered, "Yes sir. And these are two of our pokémon, Meowth and Raticate."

"Raticate, return," Cassidy said, returning Raticate just so their group would seem a bit less daunting.

"Attila called ahead about us, I believe?" Butch said.

"He did. Huh, you aren't at all like I'd pictured you, but any friend of Attila's is welcome here. Come on in, all of you," the man said, dropping the stern act and becoming a lot warmer towards them. "Long as you don't cause trouble for me, I'm happy to let you stay here for vacation."

"Thank you, sir," they all said together, except Meowth who stayed quiet.

PKMN

"I set up the spare rooms for your stay. You can arrange who's sleeping where on your own, I figure. One's Attila's old room, another's a guest room. Here's the guest room," Attila's Uncle said, opening a door on one of them.

"Dibs!" Butch said. He wasn't inclined to sleep in Attila's old room. Wasn't sure he wanted to know what was in there.

"Ditto," Cassidy said. "You couldn't pay me to share with Messy Jessie."

"Ooh, and I wouldn't want to share with you, you stuck up little snobette!" Jessie snapped. Cassidy scowled, vein throbbing in her head. Jessie's expression matched, and both Butch and James backed away. Cassidy turned, storming into the room.

"Uh, thanks for the room sir," Butch said starting after her.

"If you two want to eat, food's downstairs after you get settled," the Uncle offered.

"Great. See you in a bit," Butch replied, shutting the door.

"Eager, aren't they?" Attila's uncle asked.

"Eager? For what?" James asked naively. Jessie frowned, sweat-dropping, as did Meowth.

"Never mind," Attila's uncle said, raising a dubious eyebrow at James.

"No really. For what?" James asked.

"He thinks Butch and Cassidy are sleeping together," Jessie said.

"They are," James said, confused. Meowth scowled and scratched James angrily. James cried out in pain before it dawned on him what Jessie meant. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "No, no, no, it's not like that at all," he quickly said, rubbing the back of his neck and grinning innocently at Attila's uncle, eyes closed.

"He's right. Although I've no doubt _Butch_ would certainly like to," Jessie said. "Now, where's Attila's old room, if we may ask?"

"Oh yes of course, follow me," Attila's uncle said, leading them onwards. Soon Meowth, Jessie, and James were getting settled as well.

PKMN

Eventually the group found themselves all seated around the table eating the food Attila's uncle had prepared. "Thank you for your hospitality, sir. We would be happy to pay you back. Perhaps by doing the dishes for you?" James said.

"You do all the dishes you want, James," Cassidy said. James sweat-dropped, grimacing.

"It's alright, really," Attila's uncle said.

"No, I insist," James said defeatedly. _Someone_ had to do something to repay the man for all he was doing for them.

"Thank you, young man," Attila's uncle said, smiling approvingly at James.

"Biff will help too," Jessie said.

"It's not Biff, it's Butch!" Butch shot. "And like hell I'll…" He trailed off, catching the put-out look on Attila's uncle's face. "Uh, like hell I'll leave James to do it all alone," he quickly covered, grinning innocently before shooting a dirty look at Jessie. Cassidy looked ticked off Jessie had volunteered her partner too.

"Look at it this way, Bilch. Women find a man who knows his way around a kitchen incredibly sexy," Jessie flirted. Butch blinked and blushed. Cassidy's mouth dropped in outrage. She looked ready to beat Jessie to a pulp right then and there.

"Hard workers. I like you two," Attila's uncle said, warming towards Butch and James a bit more.

"Thanks," Butch replied unenthusiastically. Meowth snickered and let out a cry when Jessie hit him on the head. He frowned, glaring at her and rubbing his head but keeping quiet.

PKMN

"So, sir, we heard rumors the legendary pokémon Mew was spotted around here not long ago. By Attila in fact," Jessie said as she and Cassidy sat with the man, sharing tea and biscuits. Butch and James were sulking over the sink, James washing and Butch rinsing. Meowth had gotten suckered into drying, and was currently cursing Jessie and Cassidy under his breath.

"He mentioned believing he'd seen one to me as well, but I haven't spotted a thing so I'm not sure if it was just a figment of the imagination or real," Attila's uncle replied.

"Wow, wouldn't it be something to see Mew up close?" Cassidy said.

"It would," Attila's uncle agreed.

"Are you sure you don't have the _slightest_ clue?" Cassidy asked with a pretty pout.

"Well… No, it's probably nothing," Attila's uncle replied.

"Anything helps, sir. Even if it's a wild goose chase at least we'll have gotten to see a little bit of these lovely hills," Jessie prompted.

"Well, I heard a rumor an unidentified pokémon was spotted flying into Serpent Canyon a day or two ago. That's about five miles from here heading north. It's been lingering in that gorge. Careful if you go check it out, though. Place is crawling with Ekans, Arbok, Seviper, and who _knows_ what else?" the man replied.

"Ooh, thank you so much sir!" Cassidy said, grinning winningly at him. "You've been a big help."

"Of course. My pleasure," the man replied. James, Butch, and Meowth exchanged devious smirks, logging the information away.


	2. Close Call

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Close Call

Team Rocket rode towards Serpent Canyon, ears and eyes open for anything of interest. They were currently going through a pass the locals called Morning's Glow, edged on either side by a pair of cliffs known as the Twin Bluffs. Once they passed through that, the gorge—rather Serpent Canyon—wouldn't be far. "Hmm, I don't like this. It seems too quiet," Jessie remarked.

"Don't overthink it," Cassidy replied, but she too was guarded. They heard a rumble and reigned in the rapidash.

"Dat sounded like unstable rocks preparin' ta start slidin'," Meowth remarked.

"It did at that," Jessie agreed. "Oh boys," she sang. James and Butch, who up to that point had been behind the two girls, blinked obliviously, more curious than suspicious. "How would you like to ride on ahead?" Jessie sweetly asked. They heard the rumble again and caught on, sweat dropping and clenching their teeth. For all the good _that_ did them. The next thing they knew, they were ahead of Jessie and Cassidy, both women giggling cruelly some distance behind them.

"Is it just me, or does this seem unfair to you?" Butch wryly remarked to James.

"There's a difference between unfair and chivalrous," James replied. "Unfortunately, when it comes to cases of chivalry it's stacked in _their_ favor."

"What about the women and children first thing?" Butch grumbled.

"Imbecile, that only applies on a sinking ship. They get to board the _lifeboats_ first," James bluntly replied. It had changed somewhat now, but still.

"Huh? Ugh, I hate chivalry," Butch complained, lighting a cigarette.

"Keep quiet and keep on ridin' boys," Cassidy said, putting on a faux accent. "Yee haw!"

All at once there was a loud crack. They all froze. "Hmm, _that_ didn't sound good," Jessie remarked. Just then a roar sounded right above the two young men!

Butch and James gasped, looking up. Their eyes widened and they screamed in terror. Boulders were falling from above and heading right _for_ them! "Giddyap!" Butch ordered, kicking his mount into action.

"Rapidash, you too!" James insisted. Immediately the two pokémon whinnied and bolted for the end of the canyon at top speed.

"We aren't gonna make it!" Butch shouted. James screamed as a boulder plummeted right towards their heads!

"James, Butch!" Jessie, Cassidy, and Meowth screamed. The next moment the two men were blocked from sight as the boulders filled up the pass.

PKMN

"James, James!" Jessie urgently called, riding her rapidash up the mound of rocks that had finally stopped falling. Cassidy was right behind her.

"Butch! Hey Butch, stop playing around!" Cassidy shouted in fear. "Come on, _answer_ me!"

"Oh man, what if dey've been crushed?" Meowth said in worry.

Jessie and Cassidy paled at the possibility. "James!" Jessie called again, feeling a bit frantic now.

"Butch!" Cassidy shouted.

" _Finally_ you get my name right again," a voice replied from above. The two looked quickly up with gasps. There, casually leaning against the cliff on a ledge high above, stood James and Butch grinning victoriously. Their rapidash neighed loudly and reared up in celebration.

"How did you guys get _up_ dere?" Meowth asked.

"Turns out rapidash jump pretty good," Butch replied.

"They acted faster than we could command," James added, petting his rapidash gratefully.

Quickly Butch and James returned to the ground with their mounts. "Shall we continue?" Butch said, bowing.

"Shall?" Cassidy incredulously asked, raising an eyebrow. She wasn't used to _this_ sort of speak from her partner.

"I'm bein' chivalrous," Butch proudly boasted with a grin, eyes glittering teasingly. It wasn't his thing, but what the heck? He prided himself on trying new stuff. Besides, Cassidy seemed to like it. She was grinning back at him in amusement, obviously pleased with the bow.

PKMN

The group was soon at the edge of the canyon, looking down into it. "So, this is where Mew's gone to hide," Jessie remarked.

"Just great. How are we gonna get _down_ dere?" Meowth demanded.

"Like this," Cassidy said, throwing down one of her pokeballs. From out of it sprang a charizard with a roar. "Anyone up for a ride?" Cassidy asked, grinning at the others victoriously. Jessie growled angrily, eyes narrowing as she seethed. Oh, she remembered all too well when that charizard had been taken away from her and given to Cassidy. Granted it had originally been _meant_ for Cassidy, but still! Humph, it wasn't fair! Nonetheless, she sulkily joined James, Butch, Cassidy, and Meowth on the charizard's back.

The group recalled their rapidash, and the charizard took off into the air, flying them down into the canyon. The charizard landed safely and let its riders off. "Great flight, hon," Cassidy praised, recalling it and releasing her rapidash again. The others followed suite with their own.

The five looked around the canyon curiously. "Ooh, it's quite lush and fertile down here," James remarked as he mounted up along with Jessie.

"Great, so we don't have to sleep on rock, but what _else_ can it offer?" Butch demanded, mounting as well with Cassidy.

"Who asked for your opinion?" James bit, eyes narrowed coldly at his rival. Butch snorted in derision and started following the stream, taking out another smoke. Cassidy followed and caught up to him, shaking her head disapprovingly at his bad habit. Jessie, James, and Meowth—who jumped up onto James' rapidash—trailed behind, grumbling and cursing their luck at being stuck with their enemies.

PKMN

"Where's dat _mew_?" Meowth impatiently wondered. They'd been scouring this canyon for hours now. Cassidy and Butch had even let Raticate out, starting to feel a bit antsy about being outnumbered by Jessie, James, and Meowth in a secluded area. So much for trust, they guessed.

"We've gotta catch up to it at _some_ point," Butch slightly desperately replied to Meowth, looking around. "Ugh, I'm starving. When do we eat?"

"Here, here," James and Meowth agreed.

"Not until we find that pokémon," Jessie said. Butch scowled and lit another of his 'cancer sticks'. Maybe it would distract him from the hunger.

"Again? I can't believe you," Cassidy bit at Butch.

"Get off my case," Butch grumbled. He knew she didn't like it, but did she really expect him to kick this habit in a _day_? Well, she'd been pressing him to quit his chain smoking for years now, honestly, but in his defence, he'd cut back from three packs a day to around two just by smoking them right down to the filter. Hmm, somehow that didn't sound any better to him. Besides, it hadn't stopped her bi…complaining. He grimaced at the thought and took a drag before blowing the smoke out in a sharp stream right at James.

James began to cough and fell back, scowling. "Do you mind? Some of us would actually like to see forty," his rival bit sharply, annoyed.

"Bully for some of us," Butch replied.

"Let him waste away," Jessie said. "It's just one less competitor to worry about."

"Raticate, raticate!" Raticate urgently said, pointing desperately. They quickly followed his gesturing and gasped. There watching, almost fully concealed in the tree branches high above, was none other than Mew!

They gaped in shock and awe. "It's actually here," Cassidy said, stunned.

"All right, we have you now," Butch said, grinning wickedly as his eyes glittered maliciously along with the others.

"Jessica, we did it. We found it. Your mother would be proud," James remarked, smiling gently at her and squeezing her hand lightly.

Jessie was surprisingly silent as she watched Mew, sadness in her eyes as she remembered the fate that had been her mother's. Quickly, though, she snapped out of it and scowled. "Let's go!" she said.

"Right. Sableye, go!" Cassidy said.

"Mightyena, I choose you!" Butch said.

"Gourgeist, show them how it's done!" Jessie ordered.

"Inkay, prove to _them_ who's superior!" James ordered.

"Sableye, use shadow ball!" Cassidy ordered.

"Mightyena, use hyper beam at the same time!" Butch ordered.

Immediately the two pokémon attacked in sync, sending Mew flying back with a cry of pain. Swiftly, though, Mew recovered and attacked with Levitate, trapping the two pokémon despite Sableye's resistance. "Gourgeist, quick, while he's distracted use leech seed!" Jessie ordered. Gourgeist did so, wrapping her vines tightly around Mew.

"Mew!" Mew exclaimed in dismay.

"Inkay, now, use night shade!" James ordered.

To their shock, however, Mew managed to break free of leech seed and dodge night shade. Swiftly Mew attacked powerfully, knocking both Gourgeist and Inkay down before throwing Sableye and Mightyena to the ground to join them. "Raticate, skull bash!" Cassidy ordered.

"Raticate!" Raticate exclaimed, darting forward. The poor thing didn't stand a chance against the psychic—not to mention legendary—mew, though, and was quickly thrown.

"Meowth, fury swipes now!" James ordered.

"Me?!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Yes you!" Jessie shot, kicking him forward. Meowth groaned but leapt into the air with a battle cry, slashing at Mew. He knocked it back, but the attack wasn't all that effective. The next thing he knew there was a flash, and suddenly he was on the ground dazed. He groaned and shook out of it, struggling to rise again and wincing in pain. Mew unleashed another attack, hitting the humans hard. Jessie, James, Butch, Cassidy, and Raticate flew far back with cries of pain. Meowth, however, had managed to duck. He gasped on seeing the shape his partners were in.

"Dat _does_ it, now you've made me mad!" Meowth angrily shouted at Mew, standing. "Night slash!" With a battle cry, he attacked.

"Meowth, _don't_!" James cried out in terror, seeing Mew powering up psybeam. Before anything further could be done, Mew had unleashed his psybeam right into Meowth!

"It was super effective!" Butch exclaimed in alarm as Meowth flew back with a scream of anguish. Quickly Mew flew away.

"Man, the little guy packs a _wallop_ ," Meowth groaned as Jessie and James hurried to his side to ensure he was alright. Right after he said the words, he passed out. His partners gasped and quickly James gathered Meowth into his arms protectively. Jessie pulled out a blanket, wrapping it around the scratch cat. Butch and Cassidy watched after the retreating legendary in disbelief.

"This is going to be a pain in the butt," Cassidy dryly said.

"If we can't start working as a team, we ain't gonna beat this thing, Cass," Butch murmured to her quietly.

"Ugh, please. I'd sooner die than work with them," Cassidy grumbled.

"Maybe I would too, but that could be exactly what _does_ happen to us if we don't get this thing," Butch said. "Better rethink your choice of words, babe." Cassidy winced. He made a solid point.

PKMN

They'd been travelling nonstop for hours on end. Cassidy had recalled Raticate into his pokeball. The poor thing had become exhausted. Unlike the rapidash, it wasn't built for long-distance travel. "It occurs to me, why haven't we checked our map yet?" James suddenly wondered. The others started and blinked blankly at him.

"You've gotta be fu…" Butch began.

"Butch!" Cassidy shot sharply.

"Flipping _kidding_ me," Butch covered, nervously grinning as he sweat dropped, holding his hands up in a pacifying gesture.

"Great. Not only do we have to find Mew, but we're stuck doing it _together_ , and our fights with one another aren't helping any of us," Jessie said as she pulled out a map to check where they were, unimpressed with this whole thing. The others murmured in agreement.

"I don't know about _you_ guys, but I don't t'ink dere's much else we can do tonight," Meowth said as Jessie examined the map.

"Meowth's right. We should make camp here, get a good night's sleep, then continue in the morning," Jessie agreed, folding it up again and tucking it away. "There's no other decent spot to camp for miles to come after this."

"Right. Fitch, you and James go search for wood while Jessie and I set up camp and keep an eye out for Mew," Cassidy said.

"It's Butch, Butch, Butch, _Butch_!" Butch freaked, a vein pulsing in his head.

"Why do _we_ have to do all the walking?" James whined.

"Because we told you to," Jessie snippily replied.

"What kinda reason is that?!" Butch demanded.

He bit his tongue on seeing the two women becoming increasingly livid. He and James swallowed. "Team Rocket's running off again!" the men exclaimed together, turning tail and fleeing from their partners. Jessie and Cassidy laughed cruelly.

"Oh brudda," Meowth said, rolling his eyes.

PKMN

"I can't _believe_ those girls," Butch grumbled, fists clenched angrily. "What are we, their errand boys?"

"Would you rather go back and face their wrath?" James challenged.

Butch froze in place, eye twitching at the mental picture of him being skinned alive and beaten to a fine pulp. "No," he groaned, bending low down, fatigue in his eyes as he caught up to James. The duo gathered firewood stoically, hardly speaking to each other. "This sucks," Butch eventually remarked.

"What I wouldn't give for a warm bed in a five-star hotel," James lamented.

"Typical rich boy attitude," Butch grumbled.

"Humble yourself to me, pauper," James bit.

"You son of a…" Butch began. The next instant the two were tearing into each other using sticks, rocks, and whatever else they could find as a weapon on the ground.

PKMN

"Where are they? They've been gone way longer than I thought they would be," Cassidy said, scanning for them.

Jessie glanced up, initially unconcerned, but her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she remembered just how long they'd been waiting for wood. "Hmm, you may be onto something," she mused, standing and looking for their partners again. "Perhaps we should go after them."

"Don't bother, we're back," Butch grumbled as he and James dragged themselves into sight, limping

"About time," Cassidy bit. She raised an eyebrow at the state the two were in. "What happened? Run into an angry Onix?"

"More like an angry Batch," James replied.

"It's Butch and you know it! James started it!" Butch said, pointing accusngly.

"Real mature, Kutch," Cassidy said to her partner, frowning.

"The name is _Butch_! Get off my case," Butch replied, reaching into his bag and pulling out his cigarettes. Cassidy gave him a disgusted and appalled look. "What?" he demanded, put out at her expression.

"You know what," she replied. He harrumphed and lit one of the smokes up, inhaling a deep lungful and blowing it in her direction. She scoffed and turned her back on him, nose in the air. Jessie grimaced. This was going to be a long, long trip.

PKMN

Butch and Cassidy watched from beside the fire as Jessie and James teased Meowth by rolling a shiny ball back and forth between them, which Meowth desperately tried to ensnare in his claws, hissing at his failures to catch it and inwardly cursing Jessie and James for playing on this weakness of his. "Humph, you'd think they were a couple of proud parents playin' with their kid," Butch remarked, taking a drag of his cigarette and tapping the ash off the end.

"You need to break that habit before it kills you, Ponch," Cassidy bit, but she let it go at that. Goodness knew how many times she'd told him the same thing before. It hadn't stopped him yet. The man was obstinate when it came to breaking this addiction. If he really wanted to, she'd bet money he was stubborn enough to quit cold turkey. She wasn't ready to give up, yet, but she was fast losing her hope and faith in him.

"You're messing it up on purpose! For the last time, my name is _Butch_! Ugh, forget it. Did you even hear what I said?" he asked, glaring at her.

"Proud parents," Cassidy replied, watching their rivals. She shook her head at the scene. "Look at that sorry sight."

"Mmm hmm," he replied, watching in vague interest.

"You know what's sorrier?" she asked.

"What?" he asked, taking another drag and blowing out the smoke.

"I almost wish I was _part_ of it," she replied. He started, looking over at her in shock. "Not with them, ugh no, but just, you know the whole team bond thing. I mean, ugh, I don't know. Forget I said anything."

He tilted his head to the side, reading her silently. Shrugging, he took another lungful of nicotine before snuffing it out and slowly blowing the smoke out of his mouth, ponderously watching their rivals. "I thought we had a pretty _good_ relationship," he remarked.

"It's not that," Cassidy replied with a sigh. "Believe me, if I regretted having you as a partner you would know it."

He smirked and chuckled. "Was that a compliment?" he asked.

"Don't push your luck, tough-guy," she warned dangerously, glaring at him. He backed off, putting his hands up in a pacifying gesture.

"Goodnight Cass," he said, rolling over and closing his eyes. She watched him silently a moment before turning back to Jessie and James, who were returning to the fire.

"Right. Goodnight Butch," she replied before lying down as well to try and get some sleep.

"It's… oh wait, you got it right," he said. She smirked conspiratorially to herself.

PKMN

The next morning they rode through the canyon, James a fair distance behind. After being thrown off his rapidash—James was an incredibly talented rider given his background, but when Butch had snuck a burr onto the poor thing's back without his noticing, all the skill in the _world_ couldn't have saved him. He was lucky he wasn't a pile of ash—he'd opted not to ride for this stretch. He'd told them to go ahead, as they were all still on their mounts. Jessie wasn't about to do any such thing. Who _knew_ what dangers lurked in this canyon? They'd been lucky in not running into any serpentine pokémon, but she wasn't going to let her guard down because of that. Cassidy and Butch, while impatient to keep going, knew better than to separate from Jessie and James in uncharted territory. Not that they couldn't handle it alone, of course, it was just… they didn't _plan_ to. Besides, Jessie was carrying all the food.

Butch, by now, was regretting his prank. It would _be_ a wimp like James to refuse to ride after one bad fall. He should have known better. "We should be at the waterfall pretty soon here," he remarked to Cassidy.

"Finally," Cassidy replied, rolling her eyes. "I guess we'll have to see how narrow the trail is before deciding whether to ride or walk across."

"Yep," Butch replied simply.

Soon enough the five had reached the crossing. "So, I guess this means no riding," Jessie remarked, skeptically judging it while James shivered in terror, knees knocking. Even _Butch_ looked uncertain about this.

"Humph, it's nothing we can't handle," Cassidy insisted, springing from her rapidash and calling it back. Jessie and Butch followed her lead.

"Single file it is, then," Jessie said.

"Um, I think I'll stay here. You know, sort of a checkpoint," James replied, innocently grinning and rubbing the back of his neck. The others growled at him, intimidatingly glaring. He sweat dropped. "Or not," he said. They backed off and he sighed helplessly. Crossing this waterfall was the _last_ thing he wanted to try. All he had to do was peek over the edge and he could see the cascade right _there_ , for crying out loud.

"Dat's some drop," Meowth uneasily said.

"Well, let's go… So, who wants to cross first?" Cassidy said. They couldn't stay here forever, after all.

For a while no one volunteered. Finally, Jessie exasperatedly said, "Humph, I suppose _I'll_ have to go first, then. Whiners."

"I'll go next," James said, not about to let Jessie out there on that godforsaken ledge without some reliable backup. It was unlikely Cassidy or Butch would go out of their way to help her should she slip and fall. He swallowed fearfully and lined up behind his partner.

"I'll follow Jim," Meowth said.

"I'll cross fourth. Fooch, take up the rear," Cassidy said.

"The name is Butch!" Butch barked angrily.

"Oh right, Bilch. Well, look at the bright side. At least you're not the only one with the name issues. Look at poor Professor Bumba," Cassidy said. Her phone rang and she frowned curiously, picking it up. "Hello?" she asked.

"It's Namba!" a furious voice yelled. She grimaced and hung up. What, did he have them bugged or something? It was uncanny, and a little creepy, how that man just seemed to know.

"Who cares?" Butch sulkily grumbled, kicking a rock with a pout.

PKMN

"Be careful. It's slippery around here," Jessie warned, taking the slick rocks around the middle into careful consideration and navigation as they moved across the ledge. James cried out in terror, almost falling before catching himself, heart pounding. "Ooh, James! How dare you almost give me a heart attack?" she yelled furiously at him.

" _You_? What about _me_?" he demanded, shaking like a leaf. She rolled her eyes and continued. Carefully Butch and Cassidy made their way passed the slick part. Meowth's claws were dug as deep into the stone as possible, and _he_ was near panic.

"Hey, we're almost th…" Cassidy began. All of a sudden, a large portion of the ledge crumbled beneath her and Meowth! With a scream she tumbled towards the waterfall below.

"Meowth!" James exclaimed, moving fast and catching the pokémon. Meowth clung to him tightly, freaking out.

"Cassidy!" Butch cried out, leaping to try and catch his partner's hand. It was too late, and the other four watched in horror as she plummeted into the raging river! "Cass, no!" Butch cried out.

"Butch!" she screamed in terror as she was swept over the waterfall. Butch cursed loudly, and before either James or Jessie could react, he'd swan dived over the edge.

"Have you lost your _mind_ , man?!" James called after him in horror and alarm.

"Butch!" Jessie cried out. "James, Meowth, hurry it up!" Swiftly she and her teammates crossed to the other side and raced down the path towards the valley below.

PKMN

Butch broke the water at the base of the falls neatly and began swimming downwards, desperate to find her. Fervently his eyes scanned the water, but he could hardly _see_ given the way the cascade churned the water at the bottom. Add that to the current that was trying to pull him away, and it equalled a mess he wasn't sure he could escape. He kept moving towards the bottom, where the current wouldn't be so strong. Squinting through the silt he started, nearly catching his breath before remembering he was underwater. It was Cassidy, and she was trapped beneath the heavy rocks that had fallen out from under her!

He dove quickly, furiously swimming until he reached the bottom. She was writhing and struggling, almost panicking in fact. Her features were contorted in terror and he realized quickly that she wouldn't last long in this state. Her panic would cut back drastically on the time she had left, and there was little enough of that as it was. Firmly he seized her hand, snapping her back to herself. She looked sharply up at him and her eyes became relieved. She clung to his hand almost painfully. He brushed her hair out of her face then let go, trying to shove the largest rock that had pinned her off. If he could move it, the rest would come easy. She was in tears, he saw. The fear written on her face… His heart sank to the pit of his stomach as he met her eyes. Why wasn't this damn thing _moving_?! He pushed even harder, closing his eyes and straining to push it. Easier said than done, given the river's current and the fact that he was fast running out of air.

All at once he felt her take his arm firmly. He looked at her. She was shaking her head negatively, conveying to him without words that it was too late and that she was done for. She pointed towards the surface and, eyes quivering with the threat of tears, bravely smiled at him. He felt as if his chest had twisted into a tiny ball of needles. He shook his head vehemently, scowling determinedly at her. He tried again to move the rock using another stone as leverage. She seized his arm again and shook her head at him a second time. No, he wasn't leaving her, he _wasn't_!

 _Cassidy, hold on…_

His eyes pled with her not to give up. She sobbed and he saw the air leaving her lungs. He almost panicked, diving at his partner and covering both her nose and her mouth tightly, desperately shaking his head as he silently begged her not to give up. She was shivering, he felt. She was terrified… But her eyes begged _him_ to save himself… Well that was a first.

He bent suddenly, covering her mouth with his and sharing part of what little air he had left with her. Immediately he turned back to the rock, this time trying at a different angle. If he went with the current instead of perpendicular to it, perhaps he'd have better luck. Sure enough it began to move. He looked down at her, though, and saw her exhale her last bit of air. He panicked, shoving with a strength he hadn't even begun to think he _possessed_. The rock rolled off her and he seized her tightly, pulling her free of the rest of the stone and rubble holding her down. He was on the verge of passing out, but he had to get her to the surface, he _had_ to!

Butch pushed off from the bottom and swiftly broke the water, gasping for breath. She wasn't breathing, he realized. She wasn't _breathing_! "Cassidy, don't do this, don't leave me!" he begged desperately, swimming her towards land. "Jessie, James, help!" He saw them hurrying down the path, but they were still some distance away. He dragged her onto the bank and laid her down, quickly checking for a pulse. It was still beating, but it was faint. He cursed loudly and quickly began pushing on her chest, utilizing CPR. He'd never actually thought he'd have to _use_ it, but right now he was thanking the gods that be that he hadn't lost it. "Come on, Cass, come on," he pled. He bent, plugging her nose and sealing her mouth as he breathed air into her lungs a few times before returning to pushing on her chest. "Wake up!" he shouted desperately. He sealed her lips again, breathing more fervently. He sobbed, drawing back and brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Please, please wake up," he begged through the tears burning in his eyes. So much for the tough-guy image, he wryly thought.

He continued carrying out artificial respiration until he could hardly breathe anymore. He cursed himself a million times for not quitting smoking long ago, especially if it had something to do with how out of breath he was now. He gasped for air as he pushed on her chest, trying to get her to breathe again as well as himself. Damn, damn, _damn_! If he wasn't able to keep this up, she would die! Jessie, James, and Meowth looked on in shock as they raced to reach the other two. "Not good," Meowth worriedly said, speeding up.

"Cassidy, Cassidy come on, I know you can hear me. I know you can pull through. Come back and I swear to you I'll never smoke another cigarette as long as I live," he begged. "Just-just come back." He tried again to breathe air into her lungs, but found he had little to give anymore. He could hardly breathe for _himself_ let alone her too.

James grit his teeth, putting on a burst of speed, and quickly covered the distance between them, sliding to a stop next to Cassidy and immediately taking over for Butch and breathing air into her. There was no possible way that Butch could keep up the mouth-to-mouth any longer. It was nothing short of a miracle he'd lasted _this_ long. "Keep doing the compressions. I'll do the breathing," James said. Butch nodded frantically and continued. Jessie and Meowth reached them and stood to the side worriedly, watching on.

All at once Cassidy began coughing, water expelling from her lungs as she turned her head to spit it out. She gasped for breath, looking dizzily back up at Butch. "Cassidy!" he exclaimed in delight, grinning widely and hopefully.

She blinked up at him confusedly. His eyes were amazing, she determined. She'd always marvelled at the way they would change color from brown to dark purple depending on the light or what he was feeling. Sometimes they would combine, bringing about the most beautiful shade of dark puce or mahogany… It was so easy to become lost in them. Perhaps that was why she always avoided gazing into those eyes at all costs. She'd never held them for more than a few seconds for fear she'd end up doing something she'd regret. All at once she shook out of her stupor, remembering what had happened. "I-I told you to leave me," she breathed, cursing her own thoughts about the eyes.

"That wasn't gonna happen and you know it," Butch replied with a snort of derision.

She smiled weakly and teased, her voice hoarse, "I probably would have been better _off_. You just cut off about three years of my life with _your_ lungs."

He frowned. He'd walked right into that one. "Don't get cute," he bit. Just because he deserved the dig didn't mean he couldn't take offense. She chuckled weakly at him, her eyes tired. After a moment she reached up suddenly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to her, burying herself in his body. She had been badly shaken, and right now her partner was her comfort. She felt protected in his arms, tears burning her eyes as she realized how close she'd come to death. He held her all the nearer, closing his eyes tightly as his hand found a way to get entangled in her dripping hair.

"I heard your promise," she said to him. He stiffened, eyes widening. Did she really expect him to carry it through? If she did he'd try of course, but… "I doubt you'd have the guts, strength, or will-power to keep it, though," she added, interrupting his thought process. He winced at her words, muscles tensing ever so slightly. Ouch with a capital O-U-C-H. Cassidy looked over and frowned curiously. "You helped too, James?" she asked, a bit surprised.

"Of course I did, Cassidy," James answered. "It was that or watch you…" He trailed off. They all knew what he had been about to say. Cassidy shuddered. She let out a soft moan, closing her eyes and going limp.

"Cass? Cassidy?" Butch fearfully said, looking down at her. She opened her eyes tiredly.

"Let her be. She must be exhausted," Jessie said. "Perhaps we should make camp and rest a while."

"I'm fine!" Cassidy adamantly insisted. "We need to continue and cover some ground or we're only going to fail."

"Forget it Cass, we ain't leavin' this spot until at least tomorrow morning," Butch said.

"Yes we are, even if you have to carry me!" Cassidy shot.

"Cassidy…!" Butch tried to protest.

"You carry me or I walk, simple as that," she cut off.

"We have the rapidash still," James pointed out. The others started, flushing. Wow, they really weren't used to having reliable transportation that wasn't, you know, their own two feet. They kept forgetting about those darn things.

"Rapidash it is then," Cassidy said, trying to rise and only falling back down with a whimper.

"You can't ride on your own. You can sit in front of me. I'll make sure you don't fall and break your neck," Butch said with a sigh, relenting. It was apparent he wasn't winning the argument to stay here. Cassidy nodded in agreement.

PKMN

They didn't ride for very long before Butch all but forced a stop. Cassidy was quaking in his arms, body vibrating with the cold. No doubt a chill. He fought back the urge to tell her he told her so. Jessie and James began setting up a fire. Butch wrapped her up tight in blankets. "You should get out of the wet clothes. They're what's makin' you cold," he said.

"In front of Jessie and James? No thanks," Cassidy replied through chattering teeth.

"Jess might have a spare outfit for you. Cass, you have to get dry!" Butch insisted. Cassidy was quiet. "Look, Jessie and James aren't gonna care one way or another. Just strip under the blankets and no one'll be the wiser."

"Okay! Fine," Cassidy relented. She sighed and got under them. Butch held them closed around her as she got out of the wet clothing and threw it off to the side.

"Jess, tell me you have some spare clothes or something," Butch pled, looking at Jessie.

"Hmm? Oh," Jessie said. She rose, going to her bag, and dug around in it a bit before pulling out the black uniform she'd worn in Unova for a while. "Here you go," she said, walking over and handing it to the miserable looking Cassidy. Butch was drying her off as best he could. She took the clothes, nodding a thanks to her rival, and began to change into them. Butch pulled her into his arms and brought her close to the fire to warm up.

"W-we're l-losing too-too much time," Cassidy said. "We-we have to-to find Mew. We should-should split up. Jessie, James, and Meowth can-can go ahead and keep scouting it out. When we're ready we-we can head off on our own to t-try and find it another way."

"We'd end up in competition with one another and you know it," James said, frowning.

"Giovanni won't-won't give a d-damn if we can-can bring that thing back," Cassidy replied.

"You'll just steal all the credit!" Jessie protested.

"Like you wouldn't do the same!" Cassidy snapped. "Look, we have a mission to complete and right now we're-we're really sucking at-at it."

Jessie and James exchanged looks, then looked at Meowth who was frowning in concern. The pokémon shrugged. "She has a point. Plus, if we beat dem to Mew we get de credit and de boss throws _dem_ under de bus."

"Ah ha," Jessie and James both said, lighting up.

"Let's go," Jessie said.

"Right," James agreed.

Jessie and James summoned their rapidash and leapt on, Meowth sharing with James. "Team Rocket's racing off again!" the three said together, galloping away.

"Ugh, what a buncha creeps," Butch said, scowling.

"I wouldn't be too concerned. When have Jessie and James _ever_ done anything right? We have this in the bag," Cassidy said. Butch sighed in frustration but nodded nonetheless.


	3. Pokemon Whisperer

.

Pokémon Whisperer

"Jessie, don't you find it a little strange Butch and Cassidy were willing to give us a head start?" James asked as they rode through the canyon.

"Strange? How so?" Jessie asked.

"Well it's not like them to give us the advantage," James replied.

"Dey probably figure we're too big of losers to pull dis t'ing off wit'out 'em, so dey felt fine lettin' us go ahead. Deir mistake," Meowth said, paws behind his head.

"Right. We'll get Mew without them and really brag it up to the boss," Jessie said, grinning and clenching a fist.

"Our names will go down in Team Rocket history!" James agreed excitedly.

"Mew!" something said.

"Huh?!" they all exclaimed together, quickly looking up. There, floating above them, was none other then Mew!

"Deir it is! Get it!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Mimikyu, go!" Jessie ordered, releasing Mimikyu.

"Inkay, you too!" James said, releasing it. "Use psybeam!"

"Mimikyu, shadow claw!" Jessie commanded.

Both Mimikyu and Inkay attacked together, striking Mew who cried out in pain, flying back a bit. "Alright, good move Inkay!" James cheered.

"Direct hit Mimikyu!" Jessie said, grinning wickedly and clenching both her fists. "Now shadow ball!"

"Inkay, tackle," James ordered.

Both pokémon went at Mew again. "Mew!" Mew said, retaliating immediately and striking both Mimikyu and Inkay hard, sending them flying and dazing them with that single attack. Jessie and James started in alarm, gasping. Uh oh.

"Mimikyu, return!" Jessie ordered, recalling it.

"You too Inkay," James said.

"I'll give it a go. Fury swipes!" Meowth said, leaping towards Mew with teeth bared. Mew turned on him quickly.

"Meowth, no, don't!" James exclaimed, seeing Mew charging up a powerful psybeam.

"Mew!" Mew exclaimed, letting it go. It struck Meowth full force and the scratch-cat screamed in pain, flying back.

"Meowth!" Jessie and James exclaimed together, immediately forgetting Mew and leaping off the rapidash, racing towards their injured teammate.

Pushing through some thick briars Meowth had landed behind, Jessie and James searched for him. "You know, this constant losing is becoming a little redundant," James groaned.

Fury darkened Jessie's features and she screamed as loudly as she could, pulling her hair. "That's it! I've had it! We're getting that Mew if we have to…"

"Wait, there's the little fur ball!" James said in alarm.

"Huh? Meowth? Jessie asked, snapping back to herself. She gasped on spotting him on a rock, struggling to sit up while groaning. It looked as if he'd struck his head! "Meowth!" she exclaimed. Quickly she and James hurried towards him.

"Meowth, look at us!" James pled to the dazed scratch-cat. He was in bad shape it seemed. Really bad.

"Meowth, are you alright?" Jessie demanded, helping the pokémon into a sitting position.

"Meowth," Meowth replied, looking confusedly from Jessie to James. Fear suddenly sprung to his eyes.

"Easy, you'll be just fine," James assured.

"Meowth!" Meowth exclaimed, leaping away from the two and landing on all fours. He looked back at them, hissing dangerously with hackles raised.

"Meowth, what are you doing?" Jessie demanded.

"Oh no, I believe he's turned feral!" James exclaimed.

"What? But how?" Jessie asked.

"He probably hit his head on the rocks too hard!" James replied. "He doesn't even seem to _remember_ us." Jessie and James turned uncertainly to their partner. Meowth growled dangerously and hissed again. "Meowth, come now, don't you remember us? Your friends?" James carefully asked, slowly approaching. He cried out in terror as Meowth leapt, attacking him with fury swipes! He fell back, scratches decorating his face, and Meowth landed on the ground. The next instant the scratch-cat was racing away at top speed!

"Meowth, get back here!" Jessie insisted. The two immediately returned their pair of rapidash and gave pursuit on foot.

PKMN

Jessie and James panteed as they walked, trying in vain to follow Meowth's footsteps. "Wait, I hear something," James hissed, ducking low. Jessie followed suite, listening. After a moment they heard a rustle. Exchanging looks they nodded together and slowly parted the bushes. There, just ahead, lay Meowth sleeping away contentedly. Letting his injuries heal naturally, they supposed. "There you are," James said. The two slipped from the bushes and slowly approached.

Meowth opened a sleepy eye, spotting them. Lowly he growled in his throat. When the two humans kept coming towards him, he raised his head hissing. He stood, arching his back as his hackles went up. "Careful, we don't want him bolting again," Jessie said.

"Here Meowth, Meowth. Here, kitty, kitty, kitty. Don't you remember me? Your old friend James?" James cooed. Meowth meowed angrily, scratching at James when he got too close and starting to back away.

"Come now, Meowth, enough playing. We need to set up camp, eat something, and go to sleep," Jessie insisted, frowning. Meowth hissed, getting into a battle stance. Jessie and James gasped, backing away and standing ready to fight. "Great, with _our_ luck we'll probably have to fight and capture him. He's gone wild, remember?" Jessie said. She checked her pocket and frowned. "Hmm, it looks like _you'll_ have to do the capturing. I seem to be out of empty pokeballs."

"Capture _Meowth_? But I couldn't possibly…" James began.

"He's a pokémon, isn't he? Catch the poor thing and let's get this over with so we can figure out what to do," Jessie impatiently insisted.

James hesitated, looking back at Meowth. "Very well, but it just doesn't _feel_ right. Carnivine, come on out!" James ordered, throwing down a pokeball. His carnivine appeared instantly and wrapped itself tightly around him, biting his head. James cried out in alarm, struggling to get it off. Jessie frowned, sweat dropping. "Not me, Carnivine, Meowth!" James insisted.

Carnivine released his trainer and turned on the Meowth, looking confused. "Carnivine?" it asked.

"Don't ask," James said. "Carnivine, use vine whip!"

"Carnivine!" Carnivine agreed, instantly utilizing the move. It shot towards Meowth at a breakneck pace, but nimbly Meowth dodged and attacked with fury swipes, knocking Carnivine back.

"Seviper, go, use poison fang!" Jessie ordered, releasing her seviper.

"Seviper!" the seviper said, lunging at Meowth. Meowth took the brunt of the hit, crying out in pain. Quickly, though, he recovered, staggering up.

"Seviper, use wrap!" Jessie ordered. Seviper went to pull off the move, wrapping around Meowth. Unfortunately, Meowth was able to get a paw free and scratch the serpentine pokémon viciously! Seviper hissed in pain, releasing the feline.

"Inkay, go!" James ordered, throwing down his next pokémon.

"Inkay!" the pokémon said, appearing.

"Inkay, use ink spray on Meowth!" James ordered. Meowth meowed angrily, preparing to fight back, but before he could, Inkay's attack had reached him, rendering him blind. "Inkay, Carnivine, return!" James ordered the two. That was surprisingly easy, he realized. Inkay and Carnivine obeyed.

"Seviper, return," Jessie ordered, summoning back her poison type.

"Pokeball, go!" James said, thrusting a pokeball at Meowth. Immediately it trapped the disoriented and weakened pokémon inside of it!

PKMN

James walked up to the ball and picked it up. He sighed ruefully. "This just doesn't seem right."

"It was either capture him or have him run again. We would have never found him if he'd fled," Jessie replied.

"I suppose, but somehow it just doesn't feel right for Meowth to be owned by either one of us," he replied.

"As soon as he's back to normal it'll be fine," Jessie replied. "Until then, though, _dealing_ with him promises to be a real pain."

"Don't you worry, Jess. I'll take full responsibility for Meowth. Hopefully sooner than later we'll get him back to normal," James assured.

"We'd better," Jessie grimly said, gazing at the pokeball in James' hand. "Oh well, I suppose little can be done tonight. Let's eat and get a good night's rest. Tomorrow we start tracking down Mew again." James nodded in agreement, tucking the pokeball away.

PKMN

Meowth sat blinking blankly up at James. "All right Meowth, let's start at the top again. Take my hands," he insisted. Confused, Meowth sat back on his haunches and lifted his paws. James took them and gently coaxed the pokémon to his feet. "Now, one foot in front of the other, slow and steady. I've got you," James said, gently leading Meowth and guiding him to step forward one step then another. After a few minutes, James carefully let go and Meowth continued to stagger towards him.

"Meowth!" Meowth cried out, falling. James quickly caught him.

"Good work, Meowth. We're getting there," James praised. "It's only a matter of time before you learn to walk and speak again."

"Meowth," Meowth cheerily replied, closing his eyes and scrunching his face cutely. Purring, he began rubbing against James, prompting his friend to stroke his fur. James grinned and began scratching the cat behind his ears. Meowth's purring became louder and he leapt onto James's lap, waiting to be pampered. James carried him back to Jessie and sat, continuing to pet the scratch-cat while Jessie mapped out their route.

"How's it coming?" Jessie wondered.

"Oh, quite well. He's beginning to get the hang of it, but he has a long way to go yet," James replied.

Jessie nodded, looking at Meowth. Would he ever be the same again, she wondered? He'd _better_ be. If anyone could do it, though, she supposed James would be the one. Jessie reached out and patted Meowth's head, prompting the pokémon, who had been napping, to sleepily blink up at her, mewing before closing his eyes once more. "You seem to have quite a way with feral meowth's." Of course, James seemed to have quite a way with half the pokémon they _came_ across. To say nothing of the ones he owned, each of which loved the man to pieces. Even some wild ones formed bonds with him. He was sort of a pokémon whisperer, really. Or rather he could have been if he so desired to. This, however, particularly stood out to her. How he treated Meowth was different, in a way. Maybe it was because he was their friend, but she got the sense there was more to it than that.

"Truth be told, Jess, I've dealt with a wild meowth before," James replied. "You could say I even befriended it. That was _years_ ago, though."

"Really?" she said, curiosity aroused.

"Oh yes," James replied. "I was but a young teenager, then…"

 **Past**

It was rainy and cold. He hated it when it was rainy and cold. Of all the times for the rain to decide to fall, it would be when he was on the move again. Better rain than snow though, he supposed. He shivered, remembering when he'd first tried to travel in the snow, back when he'd just run away from home. It was best not to think about that time so many years ago. He looked up at the clouds. It was pouring, and he was soaked to the bone and shivering. Luckily, he recognized this area. There was a warm place nearby where he could blend in, a youth home. He would stay there for tonight then move on later.

Just then he heard a pitiful mewing sound and paused. A mewing sound? He looked around the field, squinting through the heavy rain. He heard it again and began to follow the noise. It seemed to be coming from nearby. There was a fence up ahead, so perhaps there? It came from that direction. It became louder and more insistent and pitiful. He hurried quicker, eyes becoming concerned. He followed along the fence. All at once he stopped, gasping in shock. There at the base of a fencepost was a basket. He ran towards it and knelt next to it, peering inside. His eyes widened and he caught his breath. Inside, all alone and pitiful, sat a baby Meowth! "Oh no!" he exclaimed, quickly scooping the tiny thing up into his arms and gazing down at it. Its eyes flickered weakly open and fell on him. It mewed meekly and James felt tears burning his eyes. He closed them tightly and held the kitten close to his face, nuzzling it. It was tiny and it was thin. Who _knew_ for how long it had been here? It was hardly old enough to even _fend_ for itself. It would probably die, he knew, it was near to it already, but if nothing else he could at least be there with it so it wouldn't have to die alone.

"Meowth," it whined.

"Don't worry, Meowth, you're going to be just fine," James assured softly. A false promise, he knew, but it was all he could do to try and give the little one some hope. It was male, he noted. Gently he smiled at it and tucked it into his coat tightly. He began walking again, feeling the creature shivering against his shirt. It was freezing. He held it tighter, gently petting its fur in a reassuring gesture.

PKMN

He sat in the warm youth home by the fireplace, gently stroking the small meowth. He'd managed to obtain a bottle of milk for it. It was too young to eat solid food. Eagerly it sucked at the bottle with no signs of stopping. It was purring loudly, though, gazing up at him curiously. James smiled softly at it. Soon it had finished off its bottle. James wrapped it up again and lay down to go to sleep. His smile faded away. He doubted it would be alive in the morning. A tear slipped down his cheek and gently he nuzzled it. "I'm sorry I was too late to save you," he whispered to it. It continued to purr, oblivious to the fate that would befall it.

James woke up the next morning and yawned. He felt a shifting against his chest and gasped, looking down. There was the baby meowth, still very much alive and in fact looking healthier! He gasped, sitting up. "Meowth," it mewed in protest, sleepily opening its eyes and glaring reproachfully at the human who had dared arouse it.

"You're alive!" James exclaimed in glee. He laughed, holding it so tightly it mewed in pain. James loosened his hold, grinning at it. It mewed again and rubbed its stomach, demanding more sustenance. "Right away," James said, catching on with a nod. He scrambled up and hurried to get another bottle of milk, feeding the baby meowth once more.

PKMN

For about a month he travelled with the little one, tending to it and getting up its strength. It was a bit healthier now and had taken to running alongside him. James knew, though, that he couldn't keep it around much longer. Not with the life _he_ lived. He'd long ago run away from home. He hadn't had a cent to his name when he left, he didn't have a cent to his name now. It was all he could do to feed _himself_ , let alone the kitten. If he had another pokeball he would use it, but he didn't. The only one he had was the one with which he'd caught his carnivine years ago. Carnivine was a plant type pokémon, though, so James hardly needed to worry about feeding _him_. Generally, the sun sufficed when it couldn't get meat or insect types, and pokémon food was a treat, not part of its primary diet. The scratch-cat, on the other hand, was a whole other story. When next he reached a pokémon center, he left the sleeping meowth to a nurse's care and left.

 **Present**

"It was a painful thing to do, leave the poor thing behind. I hadn't felt so bonded with a pokémon since my beloved _Growlie_ ," James remarked sadly.

"One experience with a meowth kitten hardly seems enough to explain why you handle _our_ Meowth so well," Jessie remarked.

"Patience, Jessie, I'm getting there," James replied. "You see, that wasn't the last I would see of that kitten. The next time we met, three years later, I was sixteen, and it had grown up. We crossed paths in the city of the stars, if I recall correctly…"

 **Past**

James leapt from the roof of a store onto the next one, panting for breath as furious voices screamed at him from behind. He kept running, not daring to look back as he clutched his prize, a fish casserole he'd almost managed to sneak from a restaurant, until the cook had deemed it an appropriate time to turn around and catch sight of him. He quickly dodged into an open stairwell and tore through the building, bursting out of the front doors. He kept running until all sounds of pursuit had vanished.

Panting, he clutched the food tightly. He looked down at the dish and winced. He hardly had the appetite for it anymore, but though he didn't feel hungry his body knew better. He needed to eat, and soon. He sighed deeply and made his way back to a charm school, or etiquette school or whatever it was, that he'd discovered. Sneaking around in there after dark, searching for anything of use to him, he'd found an abandoned loft. He'd turned it into a temporary refuge and home for himself. He sat on the alley steps outside of the building and began to eat in silence and solitude. Just then he heard a garbage can being knocked over. He quickly looked in that direction. His eyes widened as from out of it rolled an incredibly thin and wretched looking meowth! He caught his breath as it looked woefully towards him. He knew that meowth! The meowth started, obviously shocked as well.

"Me- _Meowth_ …?" the pokémon said, cautiously approaching with eyes wide.

"It's-it's you," James realized, falling to his knees and forgetting his food. "It's you!" he cheered, laughing.

"Meowth!" the pokémon exclaimed, backing uncertainly away.

"Huh? What's wrong? Don't you remember me?" James asked, hurt coming to his eyes.

"Meowth," the scratch-cat replied, nodding. It remembered him, but James noticed the look in its eyes. It was the same look that had been gradually darkening his own for years now. Distrust. The meowth didn't trust people, not even him. He supposed he deserved that, for the way he'd left the pokémon behind three years ago without so much as a goodbye. He couldn't imagine how hard it's life had been since, but he'd so hoped it would be taken care of or adopted or _anything_ , really.

"I'm sorry," James quietly said, bowing his head ashamedly. He looked back at the casserole and took out a good chunk of it. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty; look what I have for you." He gently held the morsel out. The scratch-cat eyed it and licked his lips longingly, but he didn't come near. Slowly James approached. The pokémon began to back away. "I'm not going to hurt you," James promised, laying the food down then backing away. He waited a long moment until the meowth finally approached the food and began devouring it. James smiled. He wanted to go to his old friend and pet him, if nothing else, but he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. Not when the pokémon didn't trust him. James rose without a word more, took his food, and climbed up to his abandoned loft. Curiously the scratch-cat watched after the human, cocking his head to the side. Soon, though, he shrugged it off and went back to eating. Goodness knew he needed it. He'd gone days and days and days without food, now. Any longer and he would have soon starved.

 **Present**

"We were sporadic acquaintances during that time, the meowth coming to me only when he was on the verge of starvation. He didn't trust humans, you see. It was a rare occasion in which I saw him, mostly when he was badly injured or beaten, and the only times he came besides that was when the poor dear had nowhere else to go. I was always ready with a morsel or two, sometimes even a saucer of cream, and eventually the meowth began to eat from my hand when it came. Sometimes it would even sleep on my lap inside of my hideaway and just relish my stroking his fur. You know, Jess, sometimes I could swear he was trying to speak," James mused.

Jessie got the sense there was more to this story than James was saying, but she wouldn't bother to push. "Well, we'd better get some sleep. Tomorrow we start tracking the mew early," Jessie stated.

"I agree," James replied, stretching out beside the fire. Meowth sleepily opened an eye, mewed, then rose, approaching James and plopping down beside him before dozing off immediately after. "Goodnight, Jessie, goodnight Meowth," James said, smiling.

"Goodnight," Jessie answered, lying down as well. Soon enough the three were fast asleep…

PKMN

"Here you are Meowth, look at this," James said, flashing a shiny ball right in front of the awed looking Meowth.

"Meowth!" Meowth cheered, leaping up and pawing it from James's hands, batting it around playfully and laughing in delight as he rolled on the ground.

"Way to spoil him, James," Jessie bit, shaking her head with hands on her hips.

James frowned at her. "I'll have you know it will help in my training," he said.

"Your training?" she incredulously asked.

"I'm going to teach him to talk and walk again," James said.

"Do you have any idea the sort of _commitment_ something like that would take?" Jessie demanded.

"Of course I do," James replied.

Jessie sighed, face-palming as she sweat dropped. She pulled out a map and looked it over carefully. "All right, this path goes a long way yet. We'll have to cross over this bridge to get to the other side, where we last detected Mew. From there we can pick up its trail," Jessie said, fingering the route they would need to take.

"Right," James agreed.

"We need to cover as much ground as we can before nightfall," Jessie said, rolling up the map and standing.

James took back the shiny ball. Meowth narrowed his eyes, annoyed, and growled in his throat. "Meowth," he said, glaring accusingly at James.

"Don't you give me that look," James warned. "Would you rather go back in the pokeball?" Meowth hissed angrily and settled down. He wouldn't complain again, James knew. "All right, now for speaking. Let's take it from the top. Repeat after me. A…"

Meowth looked up at him curiously then furrowed his brow "Ah, aie, A," Meowth replied. "Yes, good kitty, good boy! Meowth, you're going to get this yet!" James cheered, praising him by lifting him high into the air and tossing him up, grinning.

"Meowth!" Meowth cheered, getting excited at the praise. He was doing it _right_ ; whatever it was that his trainer was trying to teach him, that is. He believed this using his mouth and tongue was called walking and when he stood on his back paws and moved it was talking. No, that wasn't right; it was the other way around. This was called speaking, or talking, or both, and the other thing was called walking, or moving, or both. It was so confusing! He was determined to get it down, though.

"Now, let's try the next. B, say B," James prompted.

"Bay," Meowth replied.

"Not quite, but bay is a word too," James said. He pulled out a picture of a bay and said, "See? Bay."

"Bay," Meowth said, pointing at it.

"Excellent! Now, try the other one again. B, B," James prompted.

"B!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Yes! This is the letter B, see," James said, pointing it out. Bringing out another picture, he said, "Also this is called a bee, or rather beedril, with two E's." He pointed at the picture of the beedril that was on the card.

"Bee-bee-beedril," Meowth repeated.

"This is gonna be a _long_ trip," Jessie moaned, rolling her eyes hopelessly as the two continued through the letters.

"F, Meowth, say F," James said.

"F!" Meowth replied. Say, he was getting the hang of this alphabet thing.

PKMN

Days of travel—and in James's case days of meticulous training later—they stopped to make camp again. "We'll get up at five. If luck is with us we'll be able to catch up to Mew," Jessie said. She had no idea how far behind it they were, but apparently it was much farther ahead than she'd first thought.

"We, up, five," Meowth unevenly said, making gestures with his hands for each word he spoke. "Luck with, able, go, pass, river."

"Oh I'm good," James said, grinning widely and praising himself for the progress he'd made. He had a malicious and incredibly painful sore throat now, of course, but it was worth it.

"Teach walk?" Meowth questioned James, looking up at his trainer. He felt that he knew him from somewhere before, and the one called Jessie too. They had said something about amnesia, which James had said made you forget, so that probably had something to do with why they seemed familiar.

"After we eat," James replied.

"I hate to say it, but James you _outdid_ yourself," Jessie remarked, marvelling at how far along Meowth had come.

"You really think so? Of course we have quite a ways to go yet, but with a week or two of intensive training he should be walking and talking normally soon enough," James replied. "I've covered quite a bit of ground since he lost his memory."

"And have a raw voice and throat to show for it," Jessie remarked, hearing the scratchy tone of his normally smooth and sultry voice. She twitched. Wait, had she really applied the word 'sultry' to James's voice? She grimaced and chose to pretend otherwise.

"I hate to admit it, but you have a point. Maybe I should rest for a day or so," James remarked. Just then he brightened up. "Ooh wait! I'll make up an old family remedy Nanny taught me when I was small and be good as new by tomorrow, just you wait."

"All right, let's try this a _different_ way. Stop talking! Since you decided to start teaching Meowth to speak again, all I've _heard_ is you," Jessie bit.

"Would _you_ like to teach him to talk?" James challenged, frowning.

"Hah, as if!" Jessie replied, rolling her eyes. "He's _your_ pokémon now, not mine. You deal with him however you want. I desire no part in his training."

The two fell silent, watching Meowth staggering. He had gotten the hang of walking, if 'getting a hang of walking' meant feeling as if you were watching a one-year-old toddle along a floor. He tottered and fell more often than not, but he was coming along fairly quickly. Despite the short time that Meowth had had this amnesia, James had made the most of it and done well, Jessie found herself reluctantly admitting. There were very, _very_ few trainers who would ever have the dedication and determination to teach their pokémon feats such as walking and talking. They wouldn't be bothered, generally, but James was spending every second he could muster training his friend—his pokémon now perhaps?—how to rediscover these things. It was kind of admirable, she had to admit.


	4. Competition

Competition

"All right Meowth, come to me," James said that night after they'd eaten and made a fire. Meowth struggled to rise. Jessie shook her head at the two. She supposed she should really do something to help. She went to them, supporting Meowth's back. Meowth used that added help to get to his feet and smiled up at her. She smiled back. He began tottering his way over to James, trying to keep his balance with his arms spread out. He reached his trainer without falling and grinned victoriously. "Good job, Meowth! A little while longer and you'll be _running_ ," James praised, clapping his hands together once.

"Ya t'ink?" Meowth hopefully asked.

"Well _there's_ a shade of you we haven't seen for a while," Jessie remarked. He was starting to sound like his old self, thank goodness. Small two or three word sentences he could say quite fluently at this point, after all, and in those moments she could tell he was still the same Meowth, albeit with no memory of them or his time in Team Rocket. One step at a time though, she supposed. It would be an uphill battle, but they'd win it.

Just then they heard a noise and gasped, stiffening. They were silent a long moment, senses peaked. "Something's out there," James remarked.

"I know," Jessie replied. The two rose to their feet guardedly. "Who goes there?!"

Laughter rang out and both Jessie and James gasped, clinging to each other fearfully. "W-what was _that_? Ghost pokémon?" James asked in terror.

"It's, it's…" Jessie began.

"Prepare for trouble," an all too familiar voice said.

"And make it double," another stated.

"It's worse!" Jessie and James wailed together in dismay.

"To infect the world with devastation," the female voice said as she stepped into view with a cold smirk on her lips.

"To blight all peoples in every nation," the male declared as he too stepped into view, grinning wickedly.

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love," the woman said.

"To extend our wrath to the stars above," the man said.

"Cassidy."

"Butch."

"We're Team Rocket, circling earth all day and all night!" Cassidy said.

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!" Butch finished.

"Raticate!" Raticate exclaimed.

PKMN

Jessie and James growled, clenching their fists and looking ready to leap into a fight. "Meowth? Who _dese_?" Meowth questioned.

"It's Cassidy and Chuck!" Jessie replied.

" _Chuck_?! It's Butch you morons, get it right! Butch, Butch, Butch, Butch, Butch!" Butch protested vehemently, jumping up and down as if he were a child throwing a tantrum.

"How very mature, Buck," James said, rolling his eyes.

"You know perfectly well that it's _Butch_!" Butch shouted furiously.

"Whatever, let's just deal with Messy and Lames and get back to our mission," Cassidy said, stepping in front of her steaming partner.

"How _dare_ you?!" Jessie demanded, scowling. "In case you've forgotten, you stuck up little snob, _our_ mission is _your_ mission!"

"Yeah," James backed.

"What mission?" Meowth asked bluntly. Jessie and James fell over with groans.

Butch, Cassidy, and Raticate all blinked blankly at Meowth. "Something's wrong with your pokémon," Butch said.

Jessie fumed, standing up. James sweat-dropped, sighing. "Thank you for pointing that out, Mr. Obvious," Jessie bit. "If you must know we were defeated by Mew a few days ago and poor Meowth hit his head. He went wild and couldn't remember a thing. James was forced to capture him so we could deal with the situation."

"Congrats, Lames. First pokémon you've caught in forever. Too bad he was your teammate," Butch nipped.

"So wait, does this mean that Meowth is technically James's pokémon now?" Cassidy wondered.

"As opposed to both of ours? Oh, I suppose. At least for now," Jessie replied, looking down at Meowth. Hmm, come to think of it perhaps Meowth had _always_ been more James's pokémon than anyone else's. Ultimately Meowth had always been wild of course, and had simply chosen to stay with them, but in terms of interaction, looking back on all the time Meowth spent at James's side in comparison to hers, it seemed quite plausible. Right now, that wasn't important, though. Right now, they needed to deal with Butch and Cassidy.

"The scratch-cat's probably better off livin' with amnesia than remembering how much of a failure his _trainer_ is," Butch insulted.

"What a loser," Cassidy agreed, smirking coldly at James.

"If you aren't careful, Cassidy, you're going to regret it," Jessie warned, immediately leaping on the defensive.

"Jessie hon, are you sure your partner isn't, you know…" Cassidy hinted. Butch laughed coldly.

"Ooh that does it!" Jessie snapped. "If I hear one more insulting word from _either_ of you towards James, I'll make you wish you were never born!" she shouted, leaning over them with a vein throbbing in her forehead.

"Why worry about _us_ , doll? You're gonna be listenin' to that dummy tryin' to teach your pathetic Meowth to speak the rest of the trip," Butch replied.

Jessie twitched and turned, glancing back at James who grinned innocently and waved. "It's, uh, for the best," she replied, grimacing at the thought. Who was she trying to kid? Hours of endless blathering didn't appeal to her in the least.

"James may bring your Meowth back from the wild, but who's going to bring _you_ back to sanity?" Cassidy asked. Suddenly she sneezed loudly, almost jumping from the ground. Butch, teeth clenched in concern, quickly took her shoulders and patted one, looking worriedly at her.

"Ooh, that sounded awful. Are you sure you should be travelling so soon, Cassidy?" James asked in a bit of concern.

"It's been days! I'm fine," Cassidy insisted, pushing Butch away.

" _I_ think she should have gone to a hospital," Butch said, frowning and crossing his arms.

"Was it that bad?" Jessie asked.

"She ended up with moderate hypothermia," Butch said, nodding.

"Ooh, that _is_ bad," James said.

"I'm fine!" Cassidy insisted.

"If her lungs were exacerbated at all, you should watch her for pneumonia too," Jessie remarked.

"Way ahead of you," Butch answered.

"Ugh, would you all stop freaking out over this already?!" Cassidy shouted, vein throbbing in her head as she scowled. "I'm just fine!"

"Well forgive us for caring," James said with a pout.

Cassidy gritted her teeth, fists clenched. "Whatever, let's just get back to hunting this stupid mew," she said.

"My mother died trying to find that mew!" Jessie shot. "It's the _farthest_ thing from stupid to me."

"You and James keep getting your asses handed to you by it, and you'll be joinin' your mom soon enough," Butch said.

"Oh bite me!" Jessie snapped.

"Well Jessie Jess, now that Buff and I are in the game again, the race is back on. First come first serve," Cassidy stated.

"Oh, don't worry. You won't have to strain yourself. We'll have caught up to Mew before Botch is able to smoke through his first cigarette and catch his breath _afterwards_ ," James said. Immediately he, Jessie, and Meowth bolted.

Butch twitched at the remark. Cassidy gaped in anger. "Get a move on, Butch; we have to get to that mew before _they_ do!"

"It's… oh, that's what you said," Butch replied. Quickly he followed his partner.

PKMN

Jessie, James, and Meowth raced through the forest panting, scanning determinedly for any sign of Mew. They had to reach it before Butch and Cassidy, or their _rivals_ would be getting all the glory for tracking and capturing it. "Ooh, it has to be around here _somewhere_ ," Jessie said in agitation.

"Jessie, look!" James exclaimed, pointing towards what looked like a tail vanishing over the edge of a cliff. They ran to it and looked down below.

"I don't see anything," Jessie said.

"Wait, there!" James exclaimed, pointing out a small figure in the distance floating along. Why it was still so near despite knowing it was being followed, he couldn't understand. It was almost as if… as if _it_ were watching _them_ …

"That's it! Quick, get a move on, James!" Jessie insisted, shoving him roughly. He cried out in terror, struggling to catch his balance at the edge of the cliff. He couldn't and toppled over with a cry of fear!

"Jim!" Meowth exclaimed in alarm.

"Oh don't worry, he's fine," Jessie said, waving it off. She picked up Meowth and began sliding down the steep cliff. James, who had splatted on the ground, groaned, struggling to lift himself on his arms while Jessie slid to a stop next to him. "Get up, James, we're running out of time," Jessie insisted.

"Yes dear," he groaned.

"What was that?" she asked coldly.

"Oh, nothing, let's go," James replied, innocently grinning at her. She harrumphed and the two began racing after Mew.

"We're almost there, it's right ahead!" Jessie excitedly said, pointing out the mew vanishing into a… _corn_ maze? The three slid to a stop, blinking blankly at the tall stalks. "Well, _this_ promises to be annoying," she said.

"What are we going to do?" James asked.

"Split up of course, you idiot," Jessie replied.

"In _that_?!" James demanded in alarm. "But Jessie, it's dark out." Not to mention the maze was creepy in and of itself.

"That just means it probably won't see us coming," Jessie replied, racing in.

"What if we can't find each other again?!" James called after her.

"It's corn, James, not brick!" she called back before disappearing. Meowth bounded swiftly off down another path. James groaned. This was a bad idea, he knew it was. What was a corn maze doing in the middle of _nowhere_? It didn't sit well with him. It just seemed… wrong.

PKMN

Sure enough, five minutes in and James was racing through the corn in terror. He had been right, he had been right! It was a trap! Whoever had set it up wasn't playing around either. He heard pursuers not far behind him. He had to shake them before he was pounded into paste! "Jessie, Meowth!" he called desperately. He heard an all too familiar scream. "Jessie!" he shouted in fear. He had to get to her! He rounded a corner and gasped, sliding to a stop. A dead end! He heard the pursuers drawing nearer. He gasped and dove into the corn, thanking his lucky stars that this maze wasn't made of stone or something that couldn't be penetrated or pushed through. Quickly he slipped through it, attempting to reach either the next path over or freedom.

It was another path he crawled onto, gasping for breath. He rose, looking guardedly around. It was quiet. Jessie! He had to find her! He started running quickly, panting. "Meowth!" he heard something exclaim in fear.

"Meowth, Jessie?!" James shouted.

"Jessie, Jim!" the all too familiar voice of Meowth exclaimed as the scratch-cat pokémon leapt from some corn up ahead.

"Meowth!" James exclaimed in delight and relief. He raced towards his friend, arms open wide to receive him.

"Jimbo!" Meowth exclaimed gleefully, pouncing into James's arms and knocking him back. James hugged him tightly as the two laughed excitedly, his friend purring and nuzzling him.

"Good kitty, good boy!" James praised.

"Aw man, I'm almost goin' _feral_ again," Meowth said on realizing what he was doing. He'd come a long way. The last thing he wanted was to regress. "Boy, I'm tellin' ya Jimmy, I'd better get my memory back soon."

"You're speaking full sentences! Meowth, that's wonderful," James said.

"I am? Boy, de fright musta triggered somethin'," Meowth said, lighting up with a grin. Finally, some major progress!

"Wait, where's Jessie?" James asked, worry coming to his eyes.

"You didn't find her?" Meowth asked fearfully.

"I heard her scream," James said.

"Me too," Meowth replied.

"Then let's not just _stand_ here, we need to find Jessie!" James said.

"I'd rather escape," Meowth flatly replied.

"If you had your memory back you wouldn't be so eager to leave her," James chastised. "Come on, let's go."

"Wait, I hear a Hitmontop!" Meowth said in alarm, eyes filling with fear. "Aw man, where are these things _comin'_ from?" The Hitmontop came around the corner and the two gasped.

"Hitmontop!" it exclaimed on seeing them. It went on the attack, tearing towards them. James and Meowth cried out in fear.

"Hitmontop, return!" they heard a familiar voice call.

James and Meowth gasped as the Pokémon vanished.

"It can't be," James said. He and Meowth exchanged looks then quickly ran around the corner. No sooner had they rounded it when they barrelled into something. All parties screamed.

Leaping to their feet, everyone got into fighting poses. "Huh? James!" the one they'd slammed into exclaimed in shock.

"Bill!" James exclaimed.

"It's Butch!" Butch yelled.

"Never mind. You and Cassidy ran right into this place too, didn't you?" James demanded.

"You have no idea what a battle I just had. It ain't nothin' short of a miracle Hitmontop came out on top," Butch said, nodding in confirmation.

"What's chasing us?" James asked.

"A whole lot of unfriendly pokémon," Butch answered.

"Let me guess, you and your team split up too?" Meowth said.

"Stupidly," Butch replied, nodding.

"Did you see Jessie?" James worriedly asked.

"I heard her scream," Butch replied gravely, concern coming to his eyes. Despite Jess and Cass's rivalry, he wasn't on bad terms with James's partner. Likewise, James wasn't on bad terms with his. "Oh boy, what _is_ this place?"

"I don't know. Jessie had the map of the area," James replied.

Just then they heard growling and spun quickly. Approaching them was a group of Houndoom! "Uh oh," Butch said.

"We'd better run for it!" Meowth exclaimed. He screamed and turned, bolting.

"Right behind ya," Butch replied, darting after Meowth.

"Botch, wait for me!" James exclaimed in fear, hurrying after the two.

"It's Butch and you know…" Butch began. He was cut off by a scream as a hole opened beneath his feet! James cried out in terror, unable to stop in time to avoid it!

"James!" Meowth exclaimed, leaping back and trying to save his… friend? It resulted in nothing more than him being pulled down as well.

PKMN

Meanwhile, Jessie was panting and running as fast as she could away from an aerodactyl. Where were these pokémon _coming_ from? More importantly, what was it that seemed off about them? She dove into the corn and held her breath as the aerodactyl zoomed by. "Get your own hiding spot," a voice sharply whispered.

Jessie gasped and turned quickly. "Cassidy," she hissed. Raticate was there too, which was just in line with her luck. At least Cassidy hadn't given away their location, though. She hated to say it, but that was a plus in her rival's corner.

"Where's Butch? Have you seen him?" Cassidy asked, obviously worried. Concern had filled her eyes, drowning out the disdain and annoyance. She didn't have time to argue with her enemy right now. Not when her partner was missing.

"Butch? No, I… Wait, James and Meowth! Tell me you've run into them," Jessie said.

"No," Cassidy answered as the two young women crawled from the corn and rose, dusting themselves off.

"Rat, raticate," Raticate worriedly chattered.

"We have to find them," Cassidy stated.

"I suppose it'll _have_ to be the both of us," Jessie reluctantly agreed. All at once they heard two screams and gasped, turning quickly. "James!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Butch!" Cassidy called, breaking into a run. Quickly Jessie and Raticate followed.

PKMN

James and Butch groaned, sitting up. Meowth whimpered in pain, but luckily he'd landed on top of the two men. "Whoa, where _are_ we?" Butch wondered.

"It looks like a secret passage," James replied, looking around and tentatively walking a few steps. Butch followed, Meowth springing to the ground and starting to lead the way, forcing himself to move on his hind legs like James had taught him. It would be good practice, he decided. His feline eyes could see in the dark better than either of the humans, so he was by default the trailblazer.

"Wonder where _this_ leads?" Butch remarked.

"Hopefully to Jessie and Cassidy," James concernedly replied, catching Meowth as the pokémon nearly fell to the ground, losing his already unsteady balance. He balanced Meowth out again and urged him along.

"And Raticate too," Butch agreed, a thousand different scenarios playing through his mind and very few of them good.

"We're almost at de end," Meowth said, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. He could see a dead end up ahead, but above it he could see cracks of light that hinted at either a trapdoor or some easily pried up floorboards. Whichever it was, they were in the clear.

"Good. I hate tight and dark spaces," Butch said, looking around. More specifically tight and dark spaces that were caves.

"Claustrophobic?" James questioned, vaguely surprised at this.

"None of your business," Butch replied, shivering. "Ugh, really hoping there aren't any bat pokémon in here." James raised an eyebrow at this and a cruel smirk crossed his lips, his eyes becoming devious. Biff hated bat pokémon, did he? Well, he knew what _he_ would be trying to get next.

"Meowth, we're here," Meowth said, pointing up.

"Good. Let's get out," Butch said. "Give me a boost."

" _Me_? Why _me_? You're stronger," James said, albeit hating to admit it.

"Because _you_ couldn't lift these boards if your _life_ depended on it," Butch replied. "Probably be too afraid to ruin that manicure of yours."

James looked at his nails blankly then frowned coldly at Butch. "Fine," he relented. He bent, allowing Butch to stand on his shoulders. Shakily he stood up again, knees knocking as he grimaced. He'd held Jessie on his shoulders for quite a long time before collapsing, once, but she'd been sitting, and she was far lighter than _Butch_ was. Butch shoved upwards forcefully and James cried out, collapsing. Butch yelped in pain, falling on top of James.

"Ugh, you useless waste of space! Aren't you even the _slightest_ bit a man?!" Butch demanded.

"Get off me you loud-mouth, uncouth, imbecile!" James shouted, anger giving him strength and allowing him to rise quickly, throwing Butch off him and against a wall. He scowled at his rival then leapt up, pulling himself out of the hole and dropping into a stealth position. Butch blinked blankly, scowled, then followed James. Reaching the surface, he too dropped into a stealth position. Meowth leapt up and perched on James's shoulders, looking around cautiously.

"Good evening," a voice suddenly said. The three sharply looked in the direction of the voice. They paled, eyes widening in horror, and screamed as loud as they could, clinging to each other in fear.

PKMN

Jessie and Cassidy looked sharply up on hearing two screams in the distance. "That was James!" Jessie exclaimed.

"And Butch!" Cassidy said. "Hurry, let's go!" Immediately the two began running in the direction from which the screams had come, shoving through the corn and ignoring the maze itself, though doing so brought a higher risk of crossing the attacking pokémon and being unable to slip away from them.

The two girls followed Raticate, who was leading the way as he followed his nose towards Butch and James. All at once they were out of the field. "Raticate!" Raticate said, looking ahead. The two girls gasped on seeing the huge house.

"Who knows what diabolical things are happening to them," Jessie said to Cassidy.

"I'm right behind you," Cassidy said, willing to put aside their differences for now. At least until they got their partners back. Those idiots. Leave it to _them_ to get into a situation like this. The girls and Raticate ran towards the house and burst inside at the same time. They looked around and saw a flickering light beneath a door. Scowling, they darted forward. They kicked in the door and landed. "All right, give us back our partners!" Cassidy ordered viciously.

"On the double!" Jessie added. They started on registering the scene. Butch, James, Meowth, and a stranger were seated on comfortable chairs sipping tea and looking oddly at them, blankly blinking.

"Hey, wait a minute, what's going on here?" Cassidy demanded.

"Yeah! Aren't you two supposed to be in life-threatening danger?" Jessie asked, put out at what seemed to be a harmless situation.

"I apologize, girls," the stranger said, rising. "I can understand how you must have assumed as much, given the screams these two young men let out, but I assure you this is all a misunderstanding."

"We're listening," Jessie guardedly and suspiciously replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, well, you see, my name is Dr. Kaminko. I specialize in the creation of Robo-Pokémon. I apologize for my creations currently out guarding the grounds. It must have been quite alarming," the old man with odd hair and glasses said.

"Braiden and I…" James began.

"Braiden? That doesn't even make _sense_!" Butch protested furiously.

"Who cares?" James replied, glaring at him. "As I was saying, Bill and I were just informing Dr. Kaminko about Meowth's amnesia. He believes he may have a solution."

" _Does_ he now?" Jessie asked, suddenly much more amiable. "Do go on, Doctor."

"Follow me," Kaminko replied, beckoning for the four humans and two pokémon to follow.

PKMN

They trailed the old man down into the basement where a plethora of inventions were arranged. He led them straight towards one that was out of the way. Kaminko stopped in front of it and said, "This machine is designed to make a pokémon lose its memory."

They all blinked blankly at him. "And that's gonna help the meowth _how_?" Butch asked.

"It turns out it actually restores memory. Huh, go figure. I really should work on that," Kaminko stated. The four Rockets exchanged concerned looks. This didn't sound safe to _any_ of them. "All we have to do is lay Meowth on the table, attach the wires to his head, turn it on, then leave. Meowth will start to dream, old memories coming to light in full detail until his memory is fully restored."

"Will this, um, hurt him?" James worriedly asked.

"I hope not. I mean no!" Kaminko quickly covered. "No, of course it won't." James sweat-dropped, teeth clenched tightly.

"It's for Meowth's sake," Jessie assured James.

James looked uneasily at the nervous pokémon. "Well, I suppose if he agrees," he reluctantly relented.

"Why not? _I_ got nothin' ta lose," Meowth replied, shrugging. He climbed onto the table and lay down. "Hit me with it, doc."

"Of course. This won't hurt a bit! In theory," Kaminko said, attaching the electrodes. He turned on the machine. Slowly Meowth's eyes began to drift shut. "Now we leave him. It will take some time. Feel free to stay the night."

"Thank you, doctor, we just might," Cassidy replied. After all, they'd best make the most of it.


	5. Meowth's Memories

Meowth's Memories

( **A/N:** Themes of suicidal depression and attempted suicide, so if that's triggering for anyone, be warned.)

Meowth remembered his days on the streets of the city of stars as the memories played back to him through his dreams. Them's was tough times alright. He was starving a majority of the time. Where had he gone for food, he wondered? Before he joined the gang, that was. Back when he couldn't find or scrounge anything for himself. He couldn't remember. Wait, there was an image. A boy. Sweet kid, always fed him when he came around dragging his wasting away body to the alley in which the human had abided, mewing piteously. The boy was always ready with food for him. He would always bring him inside and feed him and care for him until he felt strong enough again. Then Meowth would leave his helper behind without so much as a goodbye or a thanks. The kid never seemed to begrudge him, though. At least he didn't think so. Hmm, he recalled that boy from his past when he was a kitten. The boy had saved his life, but then the human had abandoned him… _Why_ had he abandoned him…?

Oh well, no use wonderin' now. He remembered meeting Meowzie and trying desperately to turn himself into a human for her, learning to walk and to speak. First, he learned how to walk and run, and then he learned to speak. It had taken a long, long time, and he'd done most of it by himself, but that human… Somehow he fit in too. Oh yeah, he remembered. He would sometimes go to his human—no, not his human; but then the guy kinda _was_ , wasn't he?—and show off his walking, or staggering rather. The guy would laugh and clap and sometimes help him steady himself. The boy helped him to get more coordinated on occasion, usually after he'd been beat up by the shopkeeper from whom he and his gang had always stolen food. Sometimes he would even show the kid the books he was reading to try and learn to speak.

The guy never _did_ quite understand what was going on, but he read to him and helped him figure out enunciation even though he never spoke and rarely tried to in his buddy's presence. He'd learned not to trust humans ever, see. He got nothing but grief for them, and _this_ human was the only exception he could ever recall. Because he didn't trust humans, he didn't allow himself to open up to his meal ticket, but he had shown the guy the picture of the rocket. He'd wanted to tell him that that was the first word he could say and understand, but he still wasn't willing to trust. Not with something like that. The boy would probably think he was a freak and throw him out the window. Or worse yet, put him on display or try and sell him. The human didn't have much, that was obvious to see, or a parent in the picture either. He'd always wondered what the guy did to survive on these harsh streets. He didn't think he liked seeing the bruises and cuts, or the sad and broken look in the boy's eyes when he was daydreaming and didn't think Meowth was noticing his demeanour.

PKMN

He remembered that one day he came and he saw the kid sobbing helplessly and shaking. He was worried. He didn't like seeing his human so miserable. It scared him. Usually he seemed so happy and go-lucky, even though Meowth knew there was something darker going on somewhere inside; a piece of himself the human blocked off and hid away in a vault he never wanted cracked open. He quickly ran up to the sobbing boy meowing. The boy looked up, gasping, only to have Meowth leap into his arms and start licking his tears away worriedly. What had the boy said again? Oh yeah.

"Meowth, how did I allow everything to fall apart so _badly_? Bit by bit I see my life dissolving away into nothing and I hate it, I _hate_ it! I don't want to do this anymore, to humiliate and demean myself. I-I don't want to do this!" the boy wept, hugging him tightly as he cried into his fur.

He'd wanted to comfort the kid but didn't think he should talk, and anyways he'd never been a comforter. He didn't know how. What didn't the boy want to do anymore that he was doing now, Meowth wondered? The kid was so pure and good and innocent, and Meowth didn't know what he meant. The bruises were concerning, so were the cuts. Did he have abusive parents? Somehow Meowth doubted that. These cuts looked like they came from jumping through glass. Maybe the boy stole? The kid didn't seem the type, though; unless he didn't have a choice, that is. What about the bruises, though, or the devastated spirit, or the broken and helpless look in his eyes?

"Mew meowth meow," Meowth concernedly replied.

"I don't know what to do. I don't have a choice except to keep this up, but at the same time I do, but I-I don't know. I just don't know anymore," the boy said. Meowth mewed meekly and nuzzled the child gently, settling against him and letting the young boy who somehow didn't seem as innocent as a sixteen-year-old _should_ be anymore, cry into his fur and draw comfort from him. Maybe he just wanted to be listened to. Meowth hated having to listen to whining and complaining, but this seemed more… _substantial_ was the word, than the usual whining and complaining you got from a typical teen. The boy didn't say anything else, though. He just brought Meowth inside and cried himself to sleep, clutching the feline pokémon tightly as if clinging onto his last strand of innocence with his whole being. Somehow, though, this kid still seemed innocent and naïve, maybe even more so than others his age. How could that be? Maybe it was a mask, or maybe the boy had chosen to block off the darker parts of him. Maybe it was that one part of his brain stubbornly refused to let go of innocence and goodness while the other part deteriorated into a mess of angst. He guessed only time would tell which part finally dominated, purity or darkness. They would both always remain together, but one side had to win out over the other, right?

PKMN

He came more often after that night. He was worried about the human who had saved his life so long ago and who took care of him when he'd been too weak to care for himself, before he joined the gang and all. Then one day he'd come, and the boy had been gone… Meowth had been worried. He'd sniffed around, trying to find the human. He was afraid. Everything inside of him was telling him that the guy was in danger. Not necessarily from an outside force, but from _himself_. He'd run from that house and searched high and low for his friend. "James? James!" he called.

Wait, James… James? _James_! No, it couldn't be! It was his imagination! It was coincidence. Yeah, that was it. It was just-just coincidence. Jimmy was _nothing_ like that boy had been. Jimmy was opposite. He was naïve and innocent and clueless and stupid…

 _Because that was the part of him that won…_

He'd blocked away the hurt in an impenetrable fortress and given naivety and innocence full range! No, no, no, goodness and purity _hadn't_ won out because James and the James in his dream weren't the same. They _weren't_.

The next thing he knew, he was watching the one who had cared for him standing on the edge of a high bridge in the darkness and pouring rain. "James!" he yowled out, speaking the first human word he had spoken in this kid's presence. James was ready to jump, he realized. The kid was looking to jump!

 _No, no, Jimmy, don't do it! Jessie and I need you! No, no, you're_ _ **not**_ _that James._

The boy looked towards him, tears in his eyes and slipping down his cheeks. "Meowth?" he meekly yet somehow hopefully questioned.

"No jump!" Meowth pled, but the thunder drowned out his calls. He wasn't moving fast enough on two legs, so he dropped to four and surged forward, leaping into the stunned boy's arms. "Mew, mew meow, mew!" Meowth pled, desperately digging his claws into the kid. He didn't want him to do something stupid like _this_! The guy was bonkers. He wasn't thinkin' straight!

James held him numbly back. "I'm tired…" he finally said.

Opting to play it clueless for now, Meowth said, "Meow, meow mew, mew," _Then get some sleep._

"I'm tired of all of this, of fighting to survive, of running away, of being afraid. I just… I just want it to _end_ ," the boy admitted meekly. Meowth shook his head vehemently. _This_ wasn't the way to end it, whatever 'it' was. His human looked over the edge and down at the river nervously. "I don't want it to end like this, though," he said, voice cracking. "I'm afraid to."

"Meow, meow!" Meowth insisted. _Then come down_.

"What sort of a world is it in which wanting to take your own life is cowardice, and not being able to is pathetic?" this 'James' wondered, voice breaking as he watched the water of the river miserably.

"Meow mew, mew meow, meow mew, mew, mew, meow, meowth!" Meowth replied. _You're_ _ **not**_ _a wimp, though, Jim, you're_ _ **not**_ _! Well, okay, maybe a little, and a coward too, but that's not because of this! It's just who you are. You're a scared kid, that's all. I don't know what happened to you, I probably don't_ _ **wanna**_ _know, but you're strong too. You're stronger than I ever gave you credit for, or maybe even anyone. If you weren't, you and I wouldn't be having this conversation now. You don't want to die, not like this. You're still fighting, Jim, you're still fighting. Just fight a little harder._

The human was quiet a long time, silently weeping and holding Meowth close. "I'm sorry, okina kyodai. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to keep going… I'm sorry to you too, Meowth," he finally murmured.

Who was big sibling, Meowth wondered? No time to bother thinking about that now. " _Meow_!" Meowth insisted. _Don't_!

"I think I found a compromise, Meowth. Just watch me," James said, a smirk crossing his lips as he set the scratch-cat pokémon down. He stood up on the ledge. "If I truly wanted to die so badly, I would have chosen something more certain wouldn't I have? Wouldn't I? Perhaps a weapon or rope or jumping off a building or some other such thing. This way, though… this way it isn't certain whether I perish or survive. It's up to fate. I may depart this life, when I hit the water, but at the same time I may not. I guess we'll just have to see. Don't worry, Meowth. No matter what happens, I'll be okay."

"Mew, mew," Meowth replied meekly. _But will I_? He hated the kid was trying to be brave, hated how the kid couldn't talk himself out of this and was just trying to make it all seem more bearable for Meowth. He hated the kid was trying to be strong but in all the wrong ways, and for someone that wasn't himself. Meowth needed James to be strong for himself, not for him!

Before he could do anything, though, the boy had fallen backwards off the bridge and was plummeting down to the river far below, eyes closed almost peacefully. "James!" Meowth screamed, reaching after him. James entered the river and sank out of sight. Meowth didn't wait. He raced down to the river bank and began rushing alongside it, scouring the water for a sign of the child. Well, sort of child. There was nothing, there was _nothing_! "James!" he called out. "James!"

He sprinted for five minutes straight before losing his stamina. He was panting, hardly crawling anymore. He sobbed, closing his eyes tightly. James was gone… Just then, though, he heard something splash and looked quickly up. He caught his breath. There, dragging itself from the water, was a human male! Meowth raced towards the person, hope in his eyes. He yowled in relief. It was him. It was _him_! He slid to a stop next to the exhausted body and began nudging him hopefully. Weakly the boy's eyes flickered open and fell on him. The human smiled gently and petted his fur before slipping into unconsciousness. Meowth hadn't stopped yowling until help had come.

PKMN

Time had passed. He hadn't seen Jimmy much, but when he did there was a sort of peace about him. There was still the ever-looming threat of his falling into despair again, but Meowth could see there was a renewed desire for life in his friend. The pokémon stopped visiting as often as he would have liked, consumed with impressing Meowzie. The moment he learned to speak fluently he went to her, but she still rejected him. Miserable, Meowth bowed his head low. It was time to let go, he saw. He had to let go… He ran away from that place in tears, hurt badly at Meowzie's harsh dismissal.

He went back to James, you know. This time, though, he decided he wanted to stay. He would show James how he could walk and talk and hope James didn't think he was a freak. He wanted James to capture him and to make him his own so that he wouldn't be left alone anymore with nothing but his gang to lean on. When he arrived, though, James was gone… His friend had moved on without him, not even a goodbye, and he was alone… He searched around and found a note written to him. He'd read it. It was short and simple, and he read it out loud to himself:

 _Goodbye, Meowth. I wanted to take you with me, I really did. I waited as long as I could, but I simply cannot wait any longer. There is no life for me here, and I've unintentionally put myself in danger. I need to leave before they find me. I'm sorry that I couldn't leave with you as well. Thank you. You gave me hope, and I sincerely hope that one day we meet again._

 _James_

Meowth sniffed, wiping away a tear. "Jimmy," he sadly said, looking out the window. He was alone again, and this time maybe for good… Years later he was in Team Rocket and wondering why something about the two that he was partnered with was ringing a bell…

PKMN

Cassidy and Butch contacted Dr. Namba, Jessie and James watching curiously. "Butch, Cassidy, have you accomplished the side mission I gave you two yet?" the doctor demanded.

"Side mission?" James asked.

"After you two took off I needed some advice on how to treat Cassidy, so I called Namba. He gave me a few pointers then gave us a side-mission to complete while we were searching for Mew," Butch muttered quietly.

"Not yet, Dr. Namba. We've run into a snag," Cassidy replied.

"What is it _now_?" Namba asked, dramatically sighing in annoyance.

"Take a look," Butch replied, turning the screen to reveal Jessie and James grinning and waving.

Namba twitched then frowned. "Of course it would be them," he grumbled.

"Do we abort the mission?" Cassidy asked.

"Of course not you nincompoops. Get Jessie and James's help! Maybe together you four will manage to succeed for once in your miserable careers!" Namba yelled.

"Excuse me?!" Cassidy and Jessie both screamed, outraged. Cassidy went to smash the communication device. Butch cried out in alarm and managed to catch it before it broke, diving away from his enraged partner who James was now struggling to keep back. No easy task, since Jessie too was out for blood.

"Steal something worthwhile and return post haste," Namba ordered. "You don't _get_ a more basic mission than that."

"Yes sir. We're at the home of some guy named Kaminko, a doctor or inventor or somethin' like that," Butch said.

"Kaminko, hmm? That man is brilliant, albeit absent minded. Find his research notes and bring them to me," Namba said. The name Kaminko had registered very clearly in his memory. He was acquainted with the man's eccentric yet brilliant devices. At least they _would_ be brilliant if he could ever get them to work properly. Kaminko, currently, was researching the creation of robotic pokémon and had come along in leaps and bounds if word around the grapevine was to be believed.

"But Professor Namba, most of the old guy's inventions don't even _work_ ," Butch said. "What good's his research gonna be?"

"That's for me to know and you never to find out. Bring me the research!" Namba yelled. With that he signed off. Butch winced at the harsh order.

PKMN

"I can't believe we're stuck with Messy and Lames again," Cassidy bitterly complained as the four glared daggers at each other.

"Who was it that was given the Unova mission? Oh yes, I believe that was _us_ ," Jessie replied. Cassidy scowled, seething as her cheeks flushed furiously and her fists clenched tightly.

"Whatever! Let's just get this stupid mission over with!" Cassidy shouted angrily.

"Here, here," Jessie agreed.

"Right behind you," Butch said, nodding affirmatively.

"I'm not sure. It just doesn't seem right. Dr. Kaminko has done quite a lot for us. It's hardly appropriate to rob him," James hesitantly said. "We should leave it be and let Dr. Namba figure it out himself."

"Pathetic," Butch said with a sneer.

"As if _that's_ gonna happen," Cassidy added, scoffing at James's suggestion.

"Either you're in or you're out, James; there's no in between," Jessie agreed, nodding. With that, she, Cassidy, and Butch headed towards the lab, James uncertainly watching after them, teeth gently clenched as he warred within himself as to what the appropriate course of action for him to take would be.

Just then, James heard footsteps approaching and turned. He cried out in alarm, jumping. "Dr. Kaminko!" he exclaimed, blushing guiltily. Quickly, though, he hid it. He spotted Meowth at the Doctor's side. "Oh, uh, is he, err, finished?" James awkwardly stammered.

"It's done," Kaminko replied. "And I don't mean only Meowth's recovery." James started, paling. Did the man know? "I like you, young man, and so I'm giving you a chance to save your friends before the police reach my lab. The alarms will be tripped when they enter it, which they no doubt will, and a series of dangerous and potentially deadly traps will be sprung. Officers will arrive quickly on top of that. You won't have long to get away. As to Meowth…" The doctor trailed off and looked at the shaken pokémon.

"Meowth, what's wrong?" James concernedly asked, eyes softening in worry as he took note of Meowth's odd and overwhelmed expression.

"James, my boy, you and Meowth have a lot of talking to do," Kaminko stated. James nodded confusedly. Kaminko nodded back and began walking towards the front door. "I'd suggest you attempt to get out before the traps start springing."

James became a sickly green on hearing this, sweat dropping. He swallowed hard as the man left, then turned to Meowth in concern. "Are you alright, Meowth? Do you remember?"

"Oh yeah, you have no _idea_ how much I remember," Meowth replied sounding almost testy and bitter. "Come on, we'd better get to da balloon," Meowth said. "Dem's other guys is gonna need our help when dis plan goes up in smoke."

"Right," James agreed. "Let's hurry." He began running with Meowth towards their balloon.

PKMN

James prepared the balloon swiftly, jaw determinedly set. It was ready to go at a moment's notice. He was aware of Meowth's uncertain and suspicious glare on him, though. Had something gone wrong, he wondered? Finishing up, he turned to Meowth. "What is it?" he asked, blinking confusedly at his teammate. "If you want me to release you back into the wild then I will, if that's what this is about."

" _Release_ me?! Why didn'cha take me in de _first_ place, ya moron!" Meowth furiously demanded, leaping up and fury swiping James who cried out in alarm and staggered back, stunned at the display.

"Meowth, what's gotten _into_ you?" James demanded. Had that machine had side effects?

"And another t'ing! Who told you it was a good idea to try and jump off a bridge?!" the pokémon demanded. James started, paling. For a long time, there was silence. Meowth's eyes narrowed dangerously. "So it _was_ you," the pokémon realized in something between fury and disbelief.

James knelt quickly and whispered, "How did you find out about that?"

"Because, dingbat, I happened ta _be_ de Meowth kitten ya found freezin' all dem years ago and den took off on!" Meowth replied.

James blinked blankly at him. After a long moment he said, "Excuse me?"

"Dat's right, ya heard me," Meowth replied, crossing his arms. Immediately he explained all he had seen in his memories to a shocked and, at some points teary-eyed, James. "So, what does ya hafta say for yourself?" Meowth demanded when he finished up. He cried out as suddenly James was crushing him in a tight hug and laughing in delight. "Can't. Breathe!" Meowth gasped out. "All right, all right, I missed ya too ya big creep." Well, this would be an awkward conversation to get through. "Why de heck did you _leave_ me de first time when I was a kitten?! You abandoned me to de streets and de horrors and de cruelties and-and everyt'ing," he continued, eyes welling with tears as he found himself near to crying.

"I wanted to take you, Meowth, I wanted to so badly, but you heard the story I told Jessie. I could barely afford to feed myself let alone a pokémon! I thought you would have stayed at the center and been adopted!" James said.

"Well I didn't! I went lookin' for yous and I couldn't sniff you out and den it was just me alone and starvin'," Meowth said.

"But you did find me again, Meowth," James said, eyes quivering with emotion. "Here I am."

"And I have plenty of choice words and questions for ya too!" Meowth said.

"Likewise," James said. "Now, however, may not be the best time to get into it."

"No kiddin'. Let's get ready to haul de uddas outa dis joint," Meowth said.

PKMN

Cassidy, Butch, and Jessie looked down into the lab. "I can't believe how much of a wimp your partner is, dearie," Cassidy taunted. "First sign of trouble he runs."

"It isn't the trouble! It was the moral crisis," Jessie replied, blushing and glancing to the side, covering half her face with a hand so that Cassidy and Butch wouldn't notice her awkwardness.

"Face it. Guy's a loser," Butch said, kicking open the grate. Nimbly he and Cassidy leapt down, grinning. The next second sirens began wailing, and the duo cried out in alarm. All at once traps were springing from the floors, jets of flame shooting up. Cassidy and Butch screamed, dancing around them and trying to get back to the vent.

Jessie heard a whooshing sound and turned. She gasped, paling. Flame! She screamed, leaping down with Raticate. "Forget the vents, we have to find another way out!" she said. On cue the column of flame spewed from the vent. They screamed again and ran for the door.

"It's locked!" Butch exclaimed, pulling at it.

"Raticate, tackle!" Cassidy ordered.

"Raticate!" Raticate replied, tackling the door and knocking it down. Swiftly they began to flee as traps continued to spring from every direction.

"To the roof!" Butch called out, seeing that the front door was currently blocked off by a spiky pit. Desperately Team Rocket raced upwards.

It seemed forever, but all at once they were there, outside on the roof! But there was nowhere to go, and the whole building was shaking. On top of that, sirens were wailing in the distance. The police were on their way! "What now?!" Cassidy exclaimed in fear.

"We're doomed!" Butch said. The two burst into tears, clinging onto each other.

"Where's James and Meowth?" Jessie asked, suddenly realizing they weren't around.

"Prepare for trouble!" James's voice suddenly called out. The three Rocket agents and Raticate looked quickly in that direction. Coming towards them was the Meowth balloon, James and Meowth waving at them with grins on their faces.

"James!" Jessie exclaimed with a grin, racing towards him and leaping. He caught her hand and pulled her aboard.

"Come on, Butch!" Cassidy said, racing towards it.

"You first, Cass! I can boost you," Butch called to her.

"Right," Cassidy agreed, leaping into the air. Butch cupped his hands and let her foot land in them before giving her a strong push-off. She grabbed the edge of the balloon and crawled inside. "Raticate, return!" she ordered, summoning her pokémon. "Come on, Hutch, we haven't got all day!"

"It's Butch!" Butch yelled back. He leapt for the basket and managed to grab the wicker. He grunted and tried to pull himself up. Just then, though, he slipped. He cried out in terror as he began to fall! "Help!" he shouted.

All at once he felt his hand being seized and looked up. Cassidy, alarm reflected in her face—for one of the _very_ rare times, might he add—had seized hold of him and was struggling to pull him up. "Ugh, don't let go," she said to him through clenched teeth. She felt herself about to go over. She was losing her balance, but she wasn't about to abandon her partner!

Butch saw her losing her footing. His eyes widened in worry. "Cassidy, let go!" he ordered. "I'll find some other way outta this!"

"Not on your life, Fitch!" she replied.

"Oh _come_ on!" he shouted angrily. Just then James leaned over and seized Butch's wrist. Cassidy gave him a grateful look. She could sense Jessie seething from behind. It didn't take much to guess that she'd told James to let them fall. Luckily for her and Butch, James was a soft-touch. Never had she been so grateful that he _was_. She swore she would never taunt him by calling him a wimp again… Okay, so that was a lie, but still! Anyway, she was grateful, that was the point. Cassidy let go of Butch. She shouldn't trust James, of all people, to keep his arch-enemy up without letting Butch go, but if she didn't _she_ would be over the edge, and James wouldn't be able to lift them both. He wasn't exactly what you'd call strong. That was more Butch's thing, muscled, toned, and tough. Soon enough James pulled Butch into the basket, the two of them panting for breath.

Cassidy quickly, worriedly, knelt next to her partner. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He grinned cockily and replied, "You know it, babe." She smiled worriedly, rolling her eyes at his remark.

Jessie offered her hand, pulling James to his feet. "Great, another failure to report," she glumly said.

"At least we only have to report _this_ failure to Namba," Butch said.

"And at least we're not blasting off," James offered.

"And at least I got my memory back," Meowth agreed.

"You wouldn't believe the stories he has to tell," James said.

"Stories?" Jessie asked.

"It can wait for another time," Meowth replied, winking knowingly at James.

"Good, because right now we have a lot of planning to do. How are we going to make up this loss to Namba, and how are we going to find Mew for the boss again?" Cassidy said with a groan. Worriedly they all looked towards the horizon, frantically racking their brains for an answer to either of those questions.

Just then they heard the screech of an Aerodactyl and gasped, looking back. They cried out in terror, clinging to one another. "It's that robotic monstrosity again!" Jessie said.

"And two more!" Butch exclaimed as two more robotic Aerodactyl's shot into the sky and began pursuing their balloon.

"They're right behind us and gaining fast!" James said in fear.

"Better hold on tight people, 'cause this is gonna get bad," Cassidy said.

"This is all your faults," Jessie shouted at Butch and Cassidy; which, understandably, led to a vicious argument in the skies as the robots continued to gain.

"Would yous idiots focus?! Dey're right dere!" Meowth exclaimed in terror, leaping up and scratching all of them. They gasped, focused again on the aerodacty.

"We can't outrun them," James said.

"Ugh, Cloyster go!" Butch said, releasing it.

"Tentacruel, you too!" Cassidy said, catching on fast. Both those Pokémon could float in the air and generally robotics and water didn't mix. They might get out of this yet!

"Water gun, now!" Butch and Cassidy commanded together, pointing at the aerodactyl. Immediately both pokémon doused two of the pursuing robots in water. The robotics screeched and sparked and suddenly dropped from the sky. The third kept coming fast.

"Get it, both of you!" Butch shot, pointing. They tried to hit the third with water gun, but nimbly it dodged the attacks.

"Whoa, this one's good," Cassidy said.

"I don't t'ink dat one's a fake," Meowth said fearfully, shaking.

"What?!" the four agents demanded together. Aerodactyl shrieked, tearing towards the balloon and piercing it. The agents screamed as their balloon shot away, but all at once Aerodactyl seized the ruined fabric in its talons and flew up into the sky.

"It's got us! Now what?!" James demanded in fear. The aerodactyl suddenly let go of the balloon and all the four went tumbling down towards a crevasse far below!

"Help!" they screamed together.


	6. Regrouping With Rocket

Regrouping With Rocket

"We're gonna be smashed!" Meowth exclaimed in terror.

"Charizard, go!" Cassidy cried out, releasing her charizard. The charizard leapt out with a roar and looked back. A look of alarm crossed its face and immediately it dove towards Cassidy, Butch, Jessie, James, and Meowth. Cassidy leapt out of the basket and onto its back. "Hurry!" she called to the others.

"That thing can't take all of us!" Jessie said. It was bigger than your average charizard, yes, but not by _that_ much.

"Nope, but it can take a couple of the lightest," Butch said, suddenly grabbing Jessie around the waist and throwing her upwards as she gave a surprised scream. She caught the charizard's foot and gasped, looking back in shock, unable to believe what had just happened. Apparently, James and Meowth couldn't believe it either, or Cassidy. James suddenly snapped out of it and grabbed Meowth by the scruff.

"Hey, what's de big ideahhhh?!" Meowth cried out as James threw _him_ at the charizard too. Jessie gasped, catching him.

Cassidy reached down, grabbing her rival's arm and pulling her onto the dragon's back. "Butch, James!" Cassidy shouted, diving for them determinedly, teeth clenched.

"Fly away, all of you! That thing can't _take_ anymore weight!" James shouted at them.

"Not without you two!" Jessie shouted. "Maybe it won't be able to stop us from falling, but at least this charizard can slow our decent! You have a better chance this way now just grab on!" The charizard suddenly pulled up, almost dropping its riders.

"Charizard, what are you doing?!" Cassidy yelled. Suddenly a wind shot by. They looked down and saw the aerodactyl that had been pursuing them. It had just dive-bombed them and was now coming back for another try, cutting them off from reaching their partners!

"James, Butch!" Cassidy, Jessie, and Meowth cried out together.

PKMN

Suddenly something tore passed the charizard and the aerodactyl both, nailing the aerodactyl as it passed by and sending the pokémon into a cliff with a screech. It continued diving right down to the ruined balloon and drew alongside it. Butch and James gasped. "A skarmory!" Butch exclaimed.

"Jump for it Botch!" James exclaimed, leaping onto its back.

"It's Butch!" Butch shouted before following James. Quickly Skarmory shot up again, coming up alongside a shocked Charizard, Jessie, Cassidy, and Meowth.

"Wait a second, that Skarmory is…" Jessie said.

"Hey numbskulls, need a hand?!" a voice called out. They looked up and started. Hovering above the crevasse in a Team Rocket helicopter stood none other than Attila and Hun!

"No way," Butch said in amazement.

Cassidy gritted her teeth, turning her charizard. "Head for the helicopter!" she ordered. Immediately it did so, flying upwards. Skarmory followed quickly. As soon as they could, Jessie, Cassidy, and Meowth leapt from the charizard and into the helicopter, Cassidy quickly turning and recalling it. James and Butch followed, leaping off Skarmory when they too were beside the open doors. Attila called back his pokémon, tucking it away.

"The aerodactyl's comin' back for anudda try!" Meowth exclaimed in alarm, pointing.

"Go Pierce, now!" Hun ordered the pilot.

"Huh?" Jessie and James said, looking up front. Sure enough, there sat Pierce smiling back at them in amusement.

"Pierce!" Jessie said in surprise.

"It's been a while," James added, grinning.

"Small talk later, escaping supposedly extinct prehistoric Pokémon now," Attila said, scowling.

"It would make an excellent prize for the boss," Hun remarked.

"It's probably already owned by Professor Kaminko, so odds are we couldn't capture it anyway," Jessie said. "How about instead we focus on survival?"

"I'm on it," Pierce said, pushing the helicopter to full speed. It wasn't going to be a match for Aerodactyl, but it didn't need to be. All they needed to do was get into cover. Pierce flew the copter right towards a cliff not far ahead.

"Pierce, what are you _doing_?!" Butch demanded.

"Trust me," Pierce answered.

Butch gasped in alarm as the cliff came up fast. "Didn't think _this_ would be the way we went out!" he said, holding Cassidy who looked equally terrified. Even Jessie and James were starting to look nervous. Suddenly the mountain began to move. Rather part of it did. Jessie, James, Butch, and Cassidy watched, lips parting in shock, as it just opened up! Pierce flew the helicopter inside and the cliff began to close behind them quickly. They heard the aerodactyl slam into it and screech in rage before trying to dig its way in. The helicopter set down and they all leapt out, turning to face the apparently camouflaged door. For a while longer the aerodactyl tried to force its way in, but soon it exhausted itself and stopped, screeching in anger before seemingly flying away.

PKMN

Butch, Cassidy, Jessie, and James stood there, hearts pounding, and held their breath. "Any sign of the aerodacty?!" Pierce finally called out.

Lights blared on and the four agents winced, covering their eyes before looking quickly up. "Scanners indicate it's gone," the voice of a generic Rocket scientist replied.

"Good," Pierce replied. He turned to the four shaken agents. "Are you all alright?"

"Sh-shaken and confused, but otherwise fine," Jessie answered.

"What's goin' on here?" Meowth demanded.

"Well you didn't honestly think with a prize like Mew Giovanni would send _only_ you four out, did you?" Pierce replied. "I was sent to this location with the rest of Beta Team to spearhead the revival of an abandoned Rocket outpost in order to be able to scan for and keep tabs on Mew. This is that outpost."

"Giovanni dispatched Hun and I, Annie and Oakley, and Tyson and Domino here to help you four look for the slippery sonofabitch and back you up if needed," Attila said. "The canyon was your turf. Me, Hun, and Tyson were sent to keep an eye on the plateaus and fields. Annie, Oakley, and Domino are out on the hills. Tyson's the one who saw you four being chased by that thing. He radioed Hun and me to tell us to back you up." He looked at Butch. "Good thing too or you and James would be smears on the ground."

"I've survived worse. I can't say the same for Botch," James said, folding his arms and tuning away from his rival with nose in the air.

"Huh? Why you…" Butch began, scowling.

"Now that you're here, we're going to need you four to file some incident reports," Hun cut off. They all sweat-dropped and groaned, bodies sagging in dismay.

PKMN

"Can you believe those creeps? Shovin' a buncha paper work off on us they can't be bothered to do," Butch complained.

"But Bill, how can they file incident reports on _our_ incidents?" James asked.

"It's Butch!" Butch shouted.

"We're probably not being punished, you know. They all saw we needed to recuperate so they're letting us recuperate," Cassidy said as she and Jessie returned with food, before sitting and going back to their own paperwork.

"Well our incident reports are going to be less than impressive to the boss," Jessie said. "We've been failing more than succeeding. We've done nothing of note and have barely even touched Mew. Can you imaging what he's going to say?"

"Mew was big enough for him ta send in de backup. He probably don't expect a success story," Meowth pointed out.

"And if he does?" James asked.

"Sucks to be us," Meowth replied, grimacing.

"Have you even tagged the thing?" a voice asked from behind. They turned quickly.

"Tyson!" Jessie said in surprise.

"Don't change the subject," Tyson replied.

"No, we haven't tagged it. You'll see why that's so when you read our incident reports," Cassidy said, gesturing to the papers. He marched over, snatching hers. "Hey!" Cassidy protested. "It's not finished yet!"

Tyson held it out of her way, reading through it. "Took a swim and caught a cold, huh?" Tyson asked, unimpressed.

"That's what she wrote?!" Butch demanded, scowling. "The girl took a plunge off a waterfall and nearly drowned! We did CPR on her for almost four minutes tryin' ta get her back, then she ended up hypothermic and Jessie and James had ta keep going without us while I made sure she pulled through."

Tyson's expression hardened as he glared accusingly at Cassidy, who looked like a stantler caught in headlights. Nervously she swallowed. "How long ago?" Tyson asked, putting the paper down.

"About a week ago now," Jessie supplied.

"Hmm. Guess there's no point getting her checked out by a doctor anymore, then," Tyson remarked. "Then again if she calls hypothermia and near-death a swim and a cold, maybe she should get her head examined after all. Don't sugar-coat, Cassidy. We don't have the patience to sort through your lies."

"Yes sir," Cassidy said, glaring murderously at her partner who met her gaze defiantly.

PKMN

Cassidy ended up being looked over by a doctor. She was less than impressed and complained the whole time, but it was for the best it turned out, because to Butch's chagrin she'd been hiding the fact she'd had a broken wrist from him. It was now wrapped, and she now had painkillers, and after a huge blow up between her and him, she was finally sleeping. Probably the first half-decent sleep she'd had in a while. She was being monitored just in case, but it wasn't invasive so wasn't really a problem.

Jessie sat in communications, listening for any reports of Mew being sighted. So far nothing was coming in say for regular progress updates. By the time Domino, Annie, and Oakley, the last searchers out there, called in to say they were headed back, there had been no news at all about that slippery little pokémon. Ooh it burned her. She sighed sadly, looking down and placing the headset where it belonged, folding her hands in her lap. "Something wrong Jess?" James questioned, approaching her.

"I can't believe we lost it," Jessie replied.

"Mew? Oh, don't worry about it, Jessie. We'll pick up its trail again," James said. "Maybe it would be best if we try only to place a tracer on it instead of capturing it, though."

"Perhaps," Jessie replied. It would be _something_ of an accomplishment at least.

James frowned at her in concern. "Jessica, what's wrong?" he asked, kneeling beside her and taking her hands, looking concerned. "You usually aren't this sullen about losing a target."

"That target might be the only way I learn…" she began before trailing off. James frowned curiously then caught on. His eyes immediately became sympathetic. Her mother…

"Oh Jessie," he said, sitting next to her and hugging her gently.

She was quiet, staring sadly at the headset. "Maybe she's gone after all," she said. That was what had been officially determined, in the end. The transmissions they'd believed had come from Miyamoto could have just been repeats or flukes or interference or any manner of things.

James was quiet, just holding her reassuringly. He didn't know what to say. "You still have Meowth and me," he offered lamely. She giggled a little at that, and he took it as a good sign, smiling. "Come on. We should get some rest."

"Alright," she agreed, nodding and rising.

Next Day

Cassidy came out to breakfast late, stretching and yawning. She looked over at the table to see who all was there. Jessie, James, Butch, Attila, Hun, Annie, Oakley, Tyson, and Domino. "Morning Cassidy," Annie greeted, sipping from a coffee mug.

"Where's Pierce and the rest of Beta Team?" Cassidy questioned, sitting next to her partner who passed her some breakfast.

"Already doing their jobs," Domino replied. " _We_ had to wait for _you_."

"Why didn't you just brief Mitch?" Cassidy asked.

"The name is Butch!" Butch snapped.

"Because before we head out we must strategize, and it's best to do that when all hands are on deck," Hun answered.

"Fine," Cassidy said with a sigh. "But how about we strategize over breakfast?"

"Now that you're here, yeah. We can start," Tyson replied, shrugging. "Attila, take the floor."

"Pierce figures he and Beta Team can get a lock on Mew. Once he does, it's up to us. I say we split up and spread out. Attempt to surround it and come at it from all directions," Attila said.

"Our goal doesn't have to be to catch it. Should we be able to get a tracker on it or collect some useful data, that will appease Giovanni well enough for a time," Hun stated.

"Three of us should be on data collection, three of us should be attempting to place a tracker and maybe some other data-collecting device, three of us should do the battling, and one of us should be the one to try and communicate with it," Domino interjected. "The three of us on data collection should be out of sight of Mew and avoid participation in any kind of battle."

"Sensors will be placed on each of us and our pokémon, so when Mew attacks we can get a reading on it," Tyson put in. "The three of us attempting to place a tracer should engage with Mew only when its attention is on the three doing the brunt of the battling, so the chances of actually placing something on it are higher. The one communicating with it has two chances to reach it. Once before a fight starts, once if things start going south."

"Now let's figure out some roles," Attila said, smirking and rubbing his hands together.

"I can be a data collector," James said.

"Coward," Butch said with a condescending scoff.

"I'll be another," Attila said, frowning at Butch.

"You? Are you kidding?" Tyson dubiously asked.

"No, I'm not," Attila replied, scowling at Tyson. "I can handle it fine!"

"Hun would be the better choice," Tyson said, ignoring Attila.

"Hun would be even better standing by as one of the three aiming to nail Mew with a tracker. Hun has one of the best aims of all of us," Attila argued. "Hun can do the tracking with Annie and Oakley. I'll do the data thing with James. Bilge, Cassidy, and you can get your asses handed to you by Mew, since not a single one of you probably has a clue when it comes to tech."

"Ugh, okay you know what? Just for that I'm gonna pick data collecting too, just to show you I can!" Butch snapped. He was actually pretty good with that technological stuff.

"So that leaves Cassidy, Domino, Jessie, and Tyson. One of you needs to play communicator," Hun said.

They were all quiet for a long time. "I… I want to," Jessie finally said.

"Huh? But Jessie…" Meowth began.

"I _need_ to," Jessie specified, giving Meowth a serious look.

Meowth was quiet, looking both concerned and awed. Finally, he swallowed and nodded, eyes narrowing. "Den I'll have your back. 'Specially if ya need translatin'." Jessie smiled gratefully at him.

"Guess that leaves me, Domino, and Tyson to the main battle," Cassidy said. "Great. I'm gonna have to carry you both."

"Carry us?!" Tyson and Domino demanded together.

"We're facing off against a legendary pokémon. One of you has a grand total of two fearow in their arsenal, the other has and electrified tulip. Yeah. I'm gonna be carrying you," Cassidy said.

"We'll just see about that!" Tyson shot sharply.

Domino grimaced. Cassidy kind of had a point. "Uh, care to lend a sister a few of your Pokémon?" she sheepishly asked.

Cassidy blinked in surprise then smirked. "Tell you what, I'll lend you Tentacruel, Granbull, and Charizard," she agreed, pulling the three balls out and handing them over.

"Uh, thanks," Domino said, a bit surprise at how accommodating Cassidy was being.

"Hey, this is big, and if you, me, and Tyson are the ones on the front lines, it's best we're all prepared," Cassidy said. "To be honest, I wouldn't rely on my battle skills to carry us all anyway. I'm good, but not _that_ good."

"Very well. We'll approach Mew's location from all sides. James, Attila, and Butch will stay hidden in the bushes prepared to receive and collect data. Annie, Oakley, and I will attack only when Mew is distracted, and first and foremost try and place a tracker on it. The sooner that's done, the sooner we'll be able to aid Cassidy, Tyson, and Domino in battle. Should Jessie fail to reach it the first time, fighting will be our plan B," Hun said.

"So now what do we do?" James questioned.

"We wait for Pierce and company to pinpoint Mew," Annie answered.

"Then we get up and go," Oakley added, smirking. "Best we all get ourselves ready to leave at a moment's notice." Rising, the group separated to prepare supplies.


	7. Team Rocket vs Mew

Team Rocket vs Mew

Hun stood with Pierce, looking down on the Rocket scientists and the rest of Beta Team as they went about trying to find Mew. Beta Team consisted of Pierce, Wendy, Matori, Christopher, the Iron Masked Marauder aka Vicious, Carr, Sird, Orm, Sham, and Carl aka Keane. They were, all in all, a potent team, overseen by Professor Fuji and Lieutenant Surge. "I take it no luck?" Hun said.

"As of yet, no," Pierce replied. "But we're narrowing it down, following up on reports or news of sightings."

Hun scanned Beta Team quietly, taking a mental role call, and frowned upon seeing Carr. They had… problems, Carr and Hun. Rather Carr had problems with Hun and tended to try and cross the agent in all the wrong ways.

"Here it is," Pierce said to Hun, pointing out on the screen the Mew's location as it was patched through.

"It's not too far," Hun said. "Good. Less chance of disaster striking along the way."

"If you need backup, call in to the rest of us for help," Pierce said.

"Without fail," Hun answered, nodding in agreement. "Send an update to Giovanni. I'm on my way to fetch the others."

"Good luck," Pierce said. The two bowed to each other and Hun left to get the others.

PKMN

"Drop points are here, here, here, here, and here," Domino said, pointing out five different locations. "We can spread out from those."

"Bombs away I guess," Meowth said, looking uneasily out the jet at the jump he, Jessie, and James were going to be making. "Dese t'ings have been tested, right?"

"Tested? Sure," Tyson answered, smirking wickedly. Jessie, James and Meowth started, teeth clenched nervously. "Sayonara," Tyson said.

"Now, now, now!" Attila called out quickly. Tyson shoved them all out before they had a chance to jump on their own. The trio screamed in terror, plummeting towards the ground.

Tyson chuckled darkly and felt a glare on him. His smirk fell and he glanced back. Hun and Attila were both staring at him with arms folded, unimpressed. "What?" Tyson demanded. " _What_?" Head shaking, Hun turned and walked away. Attila threw up his hands hopelessly and followed his partner. "Yeah, I thought so," Tyson bit, frowning at them.

PKMN

Lucky for the Team Rocket trio, the parachutes had indeed worked, and their landing hadn't been as horrible as it could have been. At least _something_ was going right. "Dat jerk Tyson. We could have broken our necks!" Meowth agitatedly said.

"Perhaps that's what he'd hoped for," James glumly said.

"Ridiculous. This plan can't work without us and he knows it," Jessie said, hands behind her head. "Now let's get to that mew and into our positions ASAP before Cassidy and Blip can show us up. Where are we headed, Meowth?"

"Huh? I t'ought James had de map," Meowth said.

"Me? I thought Jessie did!" James said.

The three froze in place, grimacing and shivering a bit. "Team Rocket's messing up again," they glumly said together.

"Maybe if we keep walkin' we'll happen on somethin'," Meowth offered lamely.

"We're going to be fired!" James wailed.

"Snap out of it James! Meowth may have something. Let's go," Jessie said. "As long as we keep going straight we should reach our destination in no time."

PKMN

" _You_ aren't our destination!" James exclaimed in alarm about an hour later. As it turned out, they hadn't gone as straight as they'd thought they had, because if they had they probably wouldn't have run into their rivals.

"Jessie," Cassidy said bitterly.

"Cassidy," Jessie replied coldly, crossing her arms and turning her back.

"You losers messed up again, didn'cha?" Butch said.

"We're doing just fine!" James insisted. "You're the ones off course."

"Wanna wager on that?" Butch challenged.

"Hold up, hold up, arguing ain't gettin' us nowhere," Meowth said, attempting to break up the looming fight. "Let's just get our bearings from deir map and we can all be on our merry way."

"Fine," Jessie grumbled. "Care to point out to us where we are on your map then, Cassidy?"

"Don't expect help from _me_ , Jessie Jess. You dug your grave, now you lay in it," Cassidy replied.

"You do have a map, don't you?" James asked, noticing then the distinct absence of a map.

Butch and Cassidy immediately flushed. "It's in our heads!" Butch quickly spit out. We memorized it."

"You forgot it too, didn't you?" James unhappily said.

Butch and Cassidy glared at James. James stared miserably back. Butch and Cassidy deflated. "Yeah," Butch admitted in a grumble. He cried out in pain as Cassidy hit him up the back of the head, glaring. "What?" he demanded. She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"Hah! Putting us down when you're no better off. Typical," Jessie said to Cassidy. The two glared daggers at each other.

"Hey, Cass has got a survivalist as a partner, and I'm a good tracker to boot, so gettin' back on the trail ain't gonna be a problem," Butch said.

"You couldn't track your way out of a paper bag!" James shot.

"Beat it, Raticate, you're in my space!" Meowth ordered Cassidy's raticate, who was growling at him. Meowth roughly kicked his rival. Raticate growled in anger and tackled Meowth, dragging them both into a battle so furious that the two had to be pried apart by their travelling companions and kept off the ground as they continued spitting and hissing at each other, trying to attack even in the air.

"You're losing sight of the goal, guys," a voice suddenly said.

The group gasped and spun. Their eyes widened. "Annie and Oakley!" Jessie exclaimed. Annie had been the one who had spoken, it seemed. Hmm, either the four of them were all _way_ off course, or Annie and Oakley had sought them out. Possibly they'd heard the fighting and wanted to check on what was happening.

"You're slipping, people. Come on, pick up the pace," Oakley said. "You've got a lot to make up for and not long to do it in."

"Forgot your maps? Come on, we'll get you back on track," Annie said.

"That seems a bit cheap, and not at all to our benefit," James said. After all, how could they grow as agents if people kept carrying them?

 _If I slow down for you, otouto, how will you ever get better?_

James smirked to himself on remembering the words. "Maybe, but we're spies. What do _we_ care?" Oakley said.

"Cheap is part of our job description," Annie added, smirking. "We'll get you to where you should be, take a picture of the map, and sent it to all of you."

"Hey, t'anks for de help," Meowth said, lighting up. This was gonna work out after all thanks to them sisters! Annie and Oakley chuckled. Soon enough the two spies had left them each where they should be before wishing them luck and making themselves scarce. Texts with the pictures of the map came through shortly after, and the four were on the prowl again.

PKMN

Team Rocket spread out from on another, creeping slowly up on the locale of the legendary pokémon. "Steady," Pierce's voice said over their coms. Soon James, Attila, and Butch, on three different sides of the parameter, stopped and began to set up the laptops they would be using to record data.

"Attila, power levels. James, attack patterns and counter predictions. Butch, audio and video recordings," Hun said to them quietly.

"Roger," the three replied together.

"Alright. Jessie, are you ready?" Hun asked. No answer. "Jessie?" the agent repeated.

"I'm ready," Jessie said, voice quiet.

"Then let's all move in. Slowly. Let Jessie make first contact," Hun said. The others confirmed, and carefully Team Rocket began slinking out of the forest, surrounding the form of a sleeping Mew, who woke up almost immediately on sensing an approach.

"Mew?" it said, looking around at the seven agents creeping from the woods. One of them wasn't creeping, though. A female whose face it couldn't see.

"Mew," the female said, approaching carefully but not threateningly. "I want to talk," she continued as she came into the light. Mew floated in the air a bit startled, staring at her. It recognized this girl…

Mew stared at her for a long moment. "Mew, mew, mew, mew," it said. Jessie looked to Meowth for translation.

"Why are you surrounding me?" Meowth said.

"Because of how powerful you are of course," Jessie answered, turning back to it. "You hardly think I'd risk facing you alone, do you?"

Mew looked around at the figures surrounding it. "Mew mew," it deduced. "Mew, mew, mew."

"Team Rocket. Then you're dangerous to me," Meowth translated.

Jessie glared at it. It stared back, expression the same as ever. "You've crossed Team Rocket before. Multiple times," she said. "I'm not interested in those times. I'm only interested in one."

"Jessie, what are you doing?" Attila growled warningly through the com. Jessie pulled out the com, throwing it to the side. Attila's mouth dropped in shock. The others braced themselves, eyes wide. This wasn't the plan.

"I'm interested in the woman who pursued you who had hair like mine only shorter. The one that followed you up into the mountains long ago and never came back! There was a blizzard and they said she was killed in it, but no one could be certain because they kept receiving signals. _That's_ the woman I want to know about! What happened to her? Where is she? What did you do you wretched little beast?!"

"Jessie, enough!" Tyson called out, stunned at her audacity.

"Jessie," Mew communicated through a mental link. Jessie and Meowth both started, eyes widening. It could talk! Err, telepathically. Mew thought on Jessie's words, remembering back to that time. The woman, the picture, the blizzard… It closed its eyes then opened them again, this time slanted in anger. It began floating back and forth, starting to feel threatened. "Mew."

"Leave," Meowth translated.

"Give me my answers!" Jessie shot.

"Mew!" Mew insisted.

"Leave," Meowth translated again, uneasily stepping back.

"What happened to her?!" Jessie shouted.

"Mew!" Mew exclaimed, immediately attacking with a powerful psybeam. Jessie dove out of the way nimbly, tackling Meowth out of the way as well, and the fight was on.

PKMN

"Dammit Jessie!" Tyson shouted, immediately sending out his two fearow.

"Everybody out!" Cassidy ordered, releasing Raticate, Sableye, and Houndour.

"You too guys," Domino said, sending out Cassidy's charizard, granbull, and tentacruel.

"Espeon go!" Annie ordered.

"Ariados, Vileplume!" Oakley said, sending out both her own.

"Steelix, come!" Hun commanded, releasing Steelix.

"I choose everyone!" Jessie said, releasing all the Pokémon she'd brought along.

"Mew!" Mew said, taking off into the sky.

"Fearow, one of you strike with drill peck and the other with fury strike!" Tyson ordered. "Keep it from escaping!

"Charizard, fire spin! Cloyster, mix it with water gun!" Domino commanded. "Make sure it doesn't go far!"

"Sableye, focus punch!" Cassidy ordered.

"Yanmega, Gourgeist, put that thing back on the ground with dark pulse and ancient power!" Jessie said.

Every one of the pokémon that could fly took off and got above Mew, attacking from every angle and not even giving the legendary a chance to get off a move, keeping Mew frantically dodging and trying to avoid being struck. More than one attack landed, however, and soon Mew was crying out in pain, being tossed around. It dove downwards again to get away then looked up once more, letting out a powerful psychic attack. Disable. Most dodged, though some were caught in it, but enough stayed in the air that there would be no easy escape for Mew that way.

"Guys, this thing's power levels are insane!" Attila said over the com.

"It hasn't started to really establish an attack pattern. It's being opportunistic while feeling out the situation, trying to find the easiest way to escape," James said.

"It's not playing with us, but it's not going all out just yet either," Annie said in response.

"Then _we_ don't go all out. It's best to never do so unless given no other choice. If your enemy doesn't know your full power, you have an advantage," Hun said.

"Even at full power, Hun, I don't think we could take this thing down," Oakley said.

"Legendries have been caught before, sometimes by even solitary trainers," Hun answered. The others were silent. The agent had a point after all. Best they focus right now.

PKMN

Mew floated around in growing concern and unease. From all sides it was being attacked, never the same one twice in a row. The humans it was facing had proven far less predictable than it had thought they'd be. Mew was starting to feel like a beach ball being tossed around. It began to go on the attack. "Mew!" it cried out, letting out a powerful psychic wave that knocked back three of the Rocket agents attacking it. It gave a cry of pain as it felt something stab into its back. Spinning, it shot a psybeam at the attacker, a white-haired human of ambiguous gender.

"Hun, move!" a white-haired woman shouted. The other white-haired human leapt to the side nimbly.

"Steelix, rock throw!" the human commanded. The steelix went at Mew with a roar, and Mew's eyes lit up with an idea.

"Steelix!" the steelix said, releasing the attack. Mew floated in place before suddenly flying to the side. Instead of hitting _it_ , the boulders struck others who were attacking Mew! A muscled brown-haired man screamed in pain as he was brought down by a boulder and hit the ground hard, losing consciousness. The blond woman with a spiralled hairdo and no hat let out a scream of pain as she was brought down too and pinned, unable to get out.

Another blond woman with pigtails that weren't spiralled shrieked in pain as a rock struck her leg and possibly broke it. She sobbed in pain, clutching it. "Goddammit Hun! Ah!" she screamed.

"Yanmega, steel wing!" the woman, Jessie, ordered. The yanmega responded eagerly. Mew dodged the attack and instead of striking Mew, it struck the white-haired woman, slashing open her side. She screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground.

"Oakley!" the blond girl trapped under rocks cried out, reaching towards the white-haired woman.

"Steelix, crunch!" the other human with white-hair ordered. Mew dodged once more and the other blond with spiral pigtails, this one wearing a hat, gasped and screamed in terror, throwing her arms up in front of her in a vain attempt to save herself. "Steelix stop!" the white-haired trainer shouted. Steelix turned with a roar, trying to avoid attacking the girl. Its body slid, though, and its tail whipped around, striking her in the head and knocking her to the ground unconscious, head badly wounded and bleeding.

PKMN

" _Shit_!" Attila exclaimed from where he was positioned.

"Hun, Jessie, it's making you all target each other. It's taking us out by having us take each other out!" James exclaimed, immediately catching onto what Mew was doing.

"Steelix return!" Hun commanded the pokémon quickly, returning it. "Jessie, don't…" Hun began.

"Seviper, poison tail!" Jessie ordered, pointing. Seviper lunged with a hiss. Mew dodged, Seviper's tail drove through Hun's body, pinning Hun to a rock face! The agent cried out in anguish, doubling over.

"Seviper!" Seviper exclaimed in shock and alarm, quickly withdrawing and looking alarmed and confused. Jessie gasped, covering her mouth. Hun collapsed onto knees, shuddering.

"Hun!" James cried out, leaping to his feet in alarm.

"Shit!" Attila said again, leaping up. He'd gotten all the data he could, now they couldn't risk staying out of this fight anymore.

"They're all down 'cept Jess and Meowth. We've gotta get out there and back them up!" Butch said.

"Jessie, Meowth!" James shouted. He raced out of the bushes to face Mew. Butch and Attila leapt out of hiding too, scowling.

Mew looked around at them all, eyes narrowed. "Mew!" it cried out, releasing a psychic pulse. Butch and Attila cried out in pain, flying back and hitting the ground hard. James gasped, seizing Jessie and spinning her around behind a rock. The pulse struck him and Meowth and they both flew backwards. Jessie gasped, covering her mouth. Butch, Attila, James, and Meowth all started to get up, but suddenly were frozen in place. Disable! Jessie blinked then scowled, looking out from behind the rock. Mew was getting away.

"Oh no you don't!" Jessie said. She raced out of hiding, running after it scowling.

"Jessie, what are ya _doin'_?!" Meowth demanded.

"Jessie, don't!" James shouted. Jessie ignored them both. "Sableye, Gourgeist, follow me!" Sableye looked torn as to whether to obey or not, but soon did so. Jessie pursued Mew determinedly, following it up a cliff and climbing as fast as she could. "Jess, you can't take it on alone! Jessica, don't!" James frantically shouted, trying desperately to shake the effects of disable. Hun, still shuddering, looked upwards with a scowl. Butch desperately willed his body to move. Slowly his arm started to obey his brain's commands. He reached out for the panic button they'd been supplied, straining to reach it. He pressed but it didn't work. His eyes widened in alarm. He inwardly let off a string of curses and focused on trying to get his body to function again.

PKMN

Jessie climbed after Mew and finally reached the top of the cliff. She glared ahead, seeing it trying to break for it. "Gourgeist, leech seed!" she commanded.

"Gourgeist!" Gourgeist replied, attacking. Mew cried out in pain as its powers began to drain away. It turned around, shivering in pain. Jessie raced towards it and slid to a stop in front of it, scowling. It stared at her silently. She stared back, teeth clenched and eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Leave me alone," Mew warned telepathically, sinking lower to the ground.

"Where is my mother?!" Jessie screamed. "Answer me you little monster! Answer me!"

Mew stared at her. She stared back, tears slipping down her cheeks now. Mew soon closed its eyes, bowing its head. "If your mother is alive, she pursues me still," it finally answered.

"What?" Jessie breathed in a whisper, eyes widening.

"If your mother is alive, where I am she isn't far," Mew replied. Jessie gasped, covering her mouth as a look of shock crossed her face and she sank to her knees.

"Gourgeist!" Gourgeist exclaimed in concern, forgetting her attack in favor of rushing to her trainer's side and trying to comfort Jessie.

Mew let out a sound of relief as its power began to return and it floated high into the air again. It stared silently. "You-you little wretch!" Jessie screamed, getting to her feet and racing towards Mew. Mew seemed to sadly sigh and sent out a psybeam striking Jessie dead center. She screamed in pain. Mew continued to channel the psybeam into her unrelentingly.

PKMN

Disable had finally worn off and James raced towards the cliff with a frightened Meowth, determined to reach their partner. They'd heard her screaming, and it chilled them to the bone. "Jessie!" James shouted frantically. He and Meowth began to climb. Suddenly Steelix appeared and stretched up to the top of the cliff, forming a staircase.

"Huh?" James and Meowth said, looking back down. They saw Hun holding out the pokeball from which Steelix had sprung. Besides Hun they saw also the rest of their team in various states. Meowth almost whimpered. James felt a sick feeling in his stomach and scowled darkly, head snapping upwards again. He leapt onto Steelix with Meowth and began racing up it, eyes narrowed and teeth clenched murderously.

 _I'm coming Jessie…_

James leapt to the top of the cliff with Meowth and gasped on seeing Mew channelling psybeam into Jessie. Gourgeist and Sableye were stunned and confused, unsure what they could do. "Jessie!" James shouted frantically. Mew looked quickly over at him. "Sableye, shadow ball now, the strongest you can! Follow with focus punch. Meowth…"

"Night slash!" Meowth cut off, bearing his teeth furiously and leaping at Mew.

"Gourgeist, frustration then follow with the strongest dark pulse you can muster!" James commanded. Immediately the three pokémon attacked Mew as one. Mew cried out in pain, dropping its attack. Jessie fell to the ground with a strangled cry and lay there shuddering and only borderline conscious. James gazed at his partner in horror and fear as she looked weakly up at him, tears in her eyes, and rested her head once more when it took too much energy to keep it up. James' fists clenched, and his teeth. His eyes narrowed as he glanced sharply back. With a shout of rage he spun around. "Gourgeist, leech seed! Make it suffer!" Gourgeist, feeding off James's rage as well as its own, did so, firmly binding Mew in leech seed. Meowth continued to tear into it with night slash, Sableye pounded it with shadow ball after shadow ball. Mew let out an anguished cry that echoed loudly, tossing its head back as it writhed, quickly weakening. James watched on, teeth gritted and fists clenched so tightly that if not for the gloves he wore, his hand would probably be bleeding.

"Steelix, rock throw on Gourgeist, Meowth, and Sableye!" a voice commanded. Meowth cried out in pain, along with Gourgeist and Sableye, as they were knocked away from Mew and onto the ground. James gasped, spinning around in shock. When he saw who it was, though, anger vanished. There, on the edge of the cliff, stood Hun, attention wholly on Gourgeist, Meowth, and Sableye. Mew took off like a shot, making a break for it so it could vanish and recover. Silence reigned…

PKMN

Meowth, Gourgeist, and Sableye could only stare at the officer in shock from the ground and look questioningly at James, who had become pale and now looked more afraid than furious. After a moment of watching after Mew, Hun's eyes fell on James and James suddenly felt like he'd been punched in the gut. The look reflected in that gaze… It was disapproval…

James broke. Tears shining in his eyes, he clenched his teeth and closed them, looking quickly away from Hun and holding back a sob. He turned completely and ran to Jessie's side, falling next to her and gathering her up into his arms. "Jessie? Jessie, please," he pled. Her eyes weakly fluttered, settling on him. She winced, breathing in pain and closing her eyes, pressing her face into his body and holding his shirt tightly. He couldn't keep back the tears anymore. He sobbed, letting them fall. Footsteps approached. James didn't move. A hand fell gently on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," James said, voice breaking. "I just wanted it to stop hurting Jessie. She was in so much pain and it was just letting her suffer and I-I…"

"I know," Hun said, squeezing James's shoulder in a grounding manner. "But next time leave making it suffer to those who can stomach it."

"I can and did…" James said numbly.

"By those who can stomach it, I mean those who will be able to look back on their actions and not regret them forevermore," Hun said. James shuddered. "Next time leave making it suffer to those who can," Hun repeated. James sniffed, opening his eyes again and nodding, staring at Jessie. Hun looked down at the woman. "She'll be alright. If Mew had wanted her dead, she would be dead."

"You have the most erratic way of comforting people," James said with a grimace.

Hun winced, glancing away. "I'm sorry," the agent replied.

"I didn't mean it like that," James said, immediately feeling bad about how that had come out.

"I know… But you're right," Hun said. "Come. We need to get down to the others. Right now, with Jessie incapacitated, Butch is the only field medic we have. He'll do what he can for her, and should she recover well then she can help him with the rest of us who'll need it." James nodded and stood, lifting Jessie in his arms bridal style.

"Wasn't you pretty badly poisoned? And almost impaled?" Meowth asked Hun.

"Yes. And I was bad enough that I was among the first ones Butch tended to, right after Domino and Oakley. My fix was simple enough, an antivenom and a wrapping. The treatment will be elaborated on further, but one of us needed to get up there and back you up," Hun said.

"It shouldn't have been you if you were among the worst off!" James protested in alarm.

"I've survived harsher," Hun said. James tensed up and bowed his head, hating the memories that sprang to mind. Nonetheless, he nodded in understanding, and he, Hun, and Meowth returned to the others with Gourgeist and Sableye to regroup and report.

PKMN

James sat with Jessie cradled in his arms, looking around at the others. Butch was casting Cassidy's leg gently after resetting it. That hadn't been a pleasant scream to hear. It had been muffled by the gag in her mouth that prevented her from biting down on her tongue, but it had still been loud. James had sent out Chimecho to help Butch out, and it had proved exceedingly useful in helping control pain and heal wounds. It was the reason the worst Cassidy was doing now was worrying her lip and holding her partner's shoulders as Butch casted her leg as best he could. She let out a shaky sigh, leaning against a rock and closing her eyes tight, swallowing.

Annie had been examined for injuries. She was badly bruised and had some fractured ribs, but otherwise was alright. Butch had wrapped her ribs firmly and told her to stay as still as possible. Chimecho had helped with pain control so currently she was doing fine. Attila sat next to her on a log. Domino's head had been bandaged and she was leaning against the same log Attila and Annie sat on. Tyson, who'd regained consciousness but was eerily quiet, sat at her side hoping she woke up and then didn't fall asleep again, because it had looked like she'd sustained a lot of trauma. Butch had claimed it was better than it looked, but Tyson wasn't taking chances. Oakley's side was bandaged up. Blood seeped through, but Butch had managed to control the bleeding well enough with the help of Chimecho, and right now she just was moving as little as possible.

Butch finished up with Cassidy then checked up on Hun again, just in case anything had been missed. He frowned on seeing blood. "Oh f**k. Seriously Hun?" Butch said. Hun said nothing. Butch grumbled in annoyance. "Lift your shirt so I can rewrap it," he ordered. At least Seviper hadn't totally impaled the officer, Butch guessed. Hun did so and Butch, grumbling, wrapped the abdomen. He then turned attention to Attila and James just to be extra safe. Once certain everything else was okay, he finally sat back on the ground next to Cassidy with a tired sigh. "Ugh, what a day," he said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up. Cassidy wrinkled her nose and gave him a dirty glare, but didn't speak. She didn't have the energy to argue with him about his bad habit. He took a long drag and let it out in a steady stream.

James's focus was on Jessie, who was starting to come to. Meowth was hovering over her too in concern. "Come on Jess," the feline willed. Jessie let out a soft groan and her eyes began to flicker.

"James," she mumbled.

"I'm here, Jessica. So is Meowth," he assured.

"Wh-what about Mew?" she asked.

"Gone," James answered.

Jessie grimaced. "Typical. What a waste of our time," she remarked angrily, put out by the fruitlessness of their mission.

"And we all nearly got killed for _nothin'_ ," Meowth grumbled sourly. He sighed. "I t'ink we failed."

"We didn't. Not completely. We managed to collect a pretty good amount of data on Mew," Attila said.

"And I think-I think Hun and I both managed to get a-a tracker on it," Oakley said, grimacing in pain.

"Chime, heal bell on Oakley if you please," James said to his chimecho.

"Chime," Chime replied, floating over and casting it. Oakley sighed in relief. Chime patted her head with its tail and floated back to James's side, concernedly looking down at Jessie.

"So, what now?" Annie asked.

"We need to get somewhere safe for the night. My uncle's ranch is closer to our location than the Team Rocket outpost. From there we can contact the others and fill them in on what happened, given our emergency call button is out of commission," Attila said. "At my uncle's place we can get a good night's sleep and maybe things will start looking better in the morning."

"Works for me," Domino muttered, starting to come to.

Tyson looked worriedly over at her. "You feel nauseous at all?" Tyson asked.

Domino groaned. "Don't use that word," she pled.

"Dammit. Concussion," Tyson said, frowning deeply. "We're gonna have to keep a close eye on you for a while.

"If we're going to get to the ranch before nightfall, we should head out now," Butch said. He looked over at James and Jessie. "Can you walk Jessie?" he asked.

"I'll manage," Jessie answered.

Butch nodded. "I'll pack Cass, Tyson or Attila can pack Domino," he said.

"It'll have to be Attila. I'm feeling dizzy and my vision's blurry, so I'm probably concussed too," Tyson said.

"On it," Attila agreed.

"Oakley and I will be able to make it alright I think. If the pain gets bad or Oakley starts to bleed too much, we have Chime to save us," Annie said, smiling approvingly at James's pokémon who she personally thought was absolutely precious.

"Chime!" Chime sang, trying to do a superhero pose. Annie giggled at it.

"So, lets go," Butch said, taking one last drag of his cigarette then standing up, stomping it out. He bent and picked up Cassidy in his arms. Attila did the same for Domino

PKMN

The fatigued and cranky team walked slowly towards the ranch thinking only of how comfortable collapsing into beds would be. Considering, of course, that nothing tried to off them on their way there. They were climbing a pretty steep path, now. "I'll bet Attila, Hun, Annie, Oakley, Tyson, and Domino have never had to worry about disappointments and failures like this one," Cassidy wryly said. "Now _they_ can know how it feels."

"Who you kiddin'? They've _all_ failed before no thanks to those twerps," Butch said.

"Ooh I could just _destroy_ those little brats," Jessie agitatedly said.

"Get in line," Cassidy replied bitterly.

"Excuse me? _We_ were dealing with them long before _you_ were, you pretentious little snob!" Jessie shot.

"That may very well be, Jess, but all of Team _Rocket_ has a vendetta against them," James soothed.

"Yeah, and dat's not a place ya wanna be. Take Attila and Hun for instance. I mean Hun may act all formal and even tempered and polite and stuff, but dat's not an agent you wanna _mess_ with," Meowth agreed. "And Attila with his brawn and unpredictable temper ain't a tank ya wanna be facin' down neither."

"Lucky for the twerps, Rocket ain't much into child murder," Butch said. He looked towards Attila, who was in the lead. "Attila, how much farther?!" he called.

"We get to the top of this cliff and we'll be on his property!" Attila called back. "Then we just have to cross the field and get to his house."

"Finally," Butch said, grimacing. He was getting tired out from carrying Cass.

"I'll carry her for a while if you need a break," Tyson offered. The dizziness was mostly gone, and his vision seemed to be normal again.

"I'm good for now," Butch replied.

"I'll bet you are," Tyson replied.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Butch asked, eyes narrowed. Tyson chuckled, saying nothing further.

PKMN

About half an hour later, the group was panting for breath and standing outside of the ranch. Attila swallowed and handed Domino off to Tyson, approaching the door a bit nervously. He had no clue how he was going to explain this. Maybe he'd leave the others out and tell his Uncle he'd brought a few buddies over who were gonna spend the night. He'd ask if they could use the barn, then his uncle wouldn't have to know how many buddies 'a few' actually was. And he wouldn't get suspicious over the state they all were in. The guy had no clue he'd joined Team Rocket, and Attila kind of wanted to keep it that way. "Stay here," he told the others. "I have some buttering up to do. Don't expect beds, but hey, hay is actually pretty comfortable."

"You can't be serious," Annie said. "The _barn_?"

"You have great memories of that barn," Attila replied, smirking and winking at her. She blushed deeply as the others looked at her in surprise. Grimacing, she shrunk down a bit in embarrassment. Attila chuckled and entered the house.

"Great memories of the barn, huh?" Oakley asked, folding her arms and frowning at her sister.

"At least I _have_ memories," Annie replied, fluffing her hair with a huff. Oakley scowled at her sister, looking ready to fight, but then sighed in annoyance and let it go, shaking her head hopelessly.

PKMN

Attila entered his Uncle's house. "Hey unc?!" he called out. He heard shuffling upstairs and quickly headed up, so his uncle wouldn't come down here and get a look at the crowd he'd brought along.

"Attila?" his uncle asked, sleepily coming out of his bedroom. "I didn't know _you_ were coming here too. How are your friends? It's been some time since they left."

"They're fine. Had quite an adventure hiking out here. Loved every minute of it. Hey, uh, mind if I take them out to the barn tonight? Gonna be up pretty late and don't want to disturb you," Attila said.

"I suppose," his Uncle answered. Perking up, the man asked, "How long will you be here?"

"A couple days maybe," Attila said.

"Your boss is very flexible," the man said favorably.

"Yeah. A real peach," Attila replied, grimacing. "Thanks uncle. Love you." Turning, Attila quickly went back downstairs to hurriedly usher the others into the barn.


	8. History by Firelight

History by Firelight

(A/N: This is officially the longest chapter I've ever written for anything before. **Warning:** Triggering subject matter all the way through from **referenced physical and sexual abuse** to **depression, cutting, and suicidal thoughts**. I've bumped it up to an M rating, though that might not be necessary. Let me know if you think it should stay at an M rating.)

It was dark out, now. James was speaking quietly with Meowth as the duo reminisced about the old days before Team Rocket, Meowth trying to understand why things had happened as they'd happened in their mutual past; however, James, for the first time in all the years they'd been teamed up, was being surprisingly evasive and doing an efficient job at it. Meowth didn't trust that. James was never closed when it came to him and Jessie. The guy's life was like an open _book_. Or so it had seemed until now. Actually, looking back maybe James had _always_ been closed off about his past. Possibly even more than them. After all, they hadn't even known he was rich or engaged to be married until he'd been forced to admit it. They'd known nothing of his grandparents, nothing of his summer homes, nothing of anything, really, until James chose to open to them or was pushed to. Even Jessie was more forthcoming.

All ten of them were gathered around the fire they'd made, gazing into the flames quietly as they cooked a package of hog dogs Attila had grabbed from his uncle's kitchen. Meowth yawned and curled up to try and snooze, admittedly kind of reassured by the presence of the whole group, and a comfortable silence had fallen upon them all.

"What a fight," Butch finally remarked, growing tired of the silence.

"I suppose," Jessie replied quietly, brushing her hair out. Well, _that_ conversation was a bust.

"The sooner we get out of this place the better," James said, looking nervously around. "The Black Hills make me uneasy." He wasn't sure why that was so. It was just one of those things he guessed. Maybe. On the bright side, at least he'd rescued the conversation. Probably at his expense. Sure enough…

"What _doesn't_ make you uneasy?" Cassidy bit. Jessie glared at her enemy growling in annoyance, silently warning her to back off James while she still had the chance.

"Like it or not, you four are all stuck together along with us, so you might as well try and make the best of it," Tyson said, glancing up at them warningly. They grimaced and fell silent.

"You probably just don't know how to navigate the Black Hills. Once you get used to it, it's a real nice place," Attila said. "There's no reason to feel nervous, James."

"I suppose," James answered.

Butch sighed in annoyance as he drew pictures in the dirt with a stick while leisurely smoking a cancer stick. "Isn't a fire in a barn dangerous?" he asked after a bit.

"Fitch has a point," Jessie said.

"How many times do I gotta tell you? It's _Butch_!" Butch yelled. He began coughing and covered his mouth. Oh boy, he had to watch those blow-ups when he was in the middle of a cigarette.

"It's fine. I know how to handle it," Attila brushed off.

"We should find some way to pass the time. It's too early to sleep, we're in no shape to go exploring, so how do we make the best of this?" Domino said after the silence had dragged on too long for her liking.

"Well… we could maybe share a little bit about ourselves?" Annie suggested. "If we're going to be working in tandem for a while, it would probably be a good idea. A team building exercise. I mean for people who've worked on the same team for years, we sure don't know much about one another."

Butch snorted. "What if there's nothing to tell?" he asked.

"Well everyone who's anyone has a backstory," Annie defended.

"What if it ain't a backstory worth sharin'?" Butch challenged, sharply looking up at Annie, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What do you mean?" Oakley wondered curiously.

"If I haven't even told Cassidy much about my past, what makes you think I'm gonna tell any of _you_ dopes?" Butch demanded.

"Hah! As if you would have any secrets worth keeping," Attila taunted. He knew how Butch worked. His insult would be perceived as a challenge. Butch did not refuse challenges. He doubted the guy had any dirt in his past that was worth digging up, but if he _did_ he was very curious.

Sure enough, Butch looked sharply at Attila, eyes glittering. "Oh yeah? Wanna bet?!" he demanded.

"Name your price," Attila replied.

"If I talk about _my_ past, you all talk about _yours_ ," Butch stated.

Silence reigned for a long, long time. Butch began to relax and smirk, sure he'd won this round. Unfortunately for him, he underestimated the curiosity of the others. "You know what? I'm in if everyone else is," Cassidy said first, glaring challengingly at their teammates. Hey, what was the harm in 'omitting' some pieces of the past? It wasn't like anyone would know any better. She didn't have to share anything she wasn't comfortable sharing.

"Huh?" they all said together, say for Hun.

Eyes narrowing, Jessie replied, "You're on, Cassidy."

"I think I'll watch from the sidelines this time around," James said.

"You'll do it, Jameson, or so help me I'll turn you inside out!" Jessie snapped, leaning intimidatingly over him.

James cried out in terror. "All right, all right!" he exclaimed, buckling to her wrath. Besides, there were many things that had happened in his past that wouldn't be too hard to keep quiet, should he feel the need. Curious, Meowth opened a sleepy eye. Raticate yawned, having been awoken, and looked coldly around at the humans as he tried to sleep again.

"You have the field, Butch. Dazzle us with your secrets," Oakley tauntingly said, wiggling her fingers in the air like she was doing magic. She'd soon enough regret goading him into doing so…

PKMN

For a long time, Butch was silent, absently doodling in the sand. For a moment they thought he'd tuned them out. Maybe that would be for the best too, because in all honesty _none_ of them wanted to open up about themselves. Soon, though, he took a long drag of his cigarette and slowly blew out the smoke in a stream as he tapped off the ash, pondering his words. Finally, he said, "I was four years old when my mother died. My old man was into heavy drinking, chain smoking, hard-core drugs, you know the deal. He liked to get rough. Very, very, _very_ rough… It was like… it was like he didn't even understand the pain and the terror he was inflicting on us, or the ideas that he was pounding into me… Then it was like he did, but he didn't care and just started feeding on it… Night my mom died he was blackout drunk. I don't remember what I did, but I musta ticked him off big time because I definitely remember what _he_ did… If my mom hadn't come to my rescue, I wouldn't be here today… Instead _she's_ not…"

Cassidy caught her breath, catching on instantly and looking shocked, Hun raised an eyebrow. The others started in surprise, taken aback at the bluntness of his opening and stunned at the nature of it. Butch ignored the gazes and continued. "Let's see… I was five when I first got drunk. The old man had passed out after a binge. I got thirsty. Couldn't wake him up to get me a glass of water or somethin', but I found an open bottle full of what I figured was pop or juice. Can't blame a kid for tryin'. I downed it and regretted it. I was throwing up everywhere. Couldn't stop. Nothing made sense, and everything was moving. I couldn't see straight, I could hardly move, and I was scared outta my wits. I was screaming and crying, but dad didn't even hear. I passed out on the floor. If I'd been lucky I would've died of alcohol poisoning. I wasn't lucky. In coming years I'd look back on that day and think of how much more of a blessing it would have been if I _had_ died on that floor."

"What?" Cassidy hissed, immediately concerned about this sort of thinking.

Butch shrugged casually as if it were nothing. "Woke up to the old man screaming his fool head off at me, his face purple; not in fear, oh no, but in rage. He was ticked I'd drank his last bottle before _he_ could get to it. Dragged me into my room, pulled down my pants, and beat me until my body was numb. He threw me across the room and stormed out while I was left screaming and sobbing and clutching a broken arm." He took a deep draw on his cigarette and blew out the smoke slightly shakily. "I was six first time I did a drug. Bunch of the old man's friends came over for a party or somethin'. They were talkin' about me, but I didn't know why. They were too quiet to hear. They watched me though. Closely. _Too_ closely, if you catch my drift."

Jessie covered her mouth, indeed catching on. Hun looked sharply over, eyes narrowed. James had stiffened, and Cassidy was unable to tear her eyes away from her partner. The others' mouths were hanging open. "And then?" Hun prompted guardedly.

"One of his dumb ass friends came on over to me and offered me some white 'candy'. Guy was tame compared to the rest of them… I think there might even have been sympathy in his eyes. Maybe protection… Don't matter anymore anyway. He told me to eat up and that it would numb me completely to what the others intended to do to me later. I didn't get it, but I had felt my father's iron hand, so I assumed they would be hitting and punching and kicking me. I didn't plan on stickin' around for that noise. I took my 'candy' and escaped from the house the moment I got the opportunity. Went into the woods where I knew they couldn't find me. I had a secret spot out there that my mother and I had found when she was still alive… It was a special place for only her and me… Anyway, the 'candy' was all I had to eat and I was starvin'. Dad wasn't much of a cook. In fact, half the time he was starving us, and I was left to my own devices, scrounging up whatever garbage I could find, even pokémon food. I ate the candy and started feeling… different. Different in a way that seemed good but was also bad; I didn't trust feelings like that. I passed out after doing a bunch of stupid, crazy shit that I can't remember to this night, then slept until around noon the next day. When I returned, guess who was waitin' with his belt out and at the ready?"

"Butch…" Jessie said, but she had no other words.

"I… I never knew…" Cassidy said, looking at the ground in shock.

"Wasn't planning on telling you _this_ much, just… when it starts coming it kind of pours out of you, ya know?" he replied with a shrug. "I was also six when I had my first cigarette. Never stopped smoking from that day on. Alcohol tasted like garbage and I didn't like gettin' sick. Drugs made me feel out of control of my own mind and happy but helpless. I liked _that_ feeling even less. I mean sure I got drunk. Often, in fact. Even did drugs now and then. Disillusioned myself into thinking drugs and alcohol helped dull the pain I felt emotionally and physically, but they got old real quick. I switched to smoking to calm down when things were getting to be too much…" He stopped drawing on the ground. They looked at what he'd been doodling. It appeared to be a bunch of tick marks. "Wanna know what this is?" he asked.

"Hmm, I don't believe we _do_ ," James grimly said.

"For once you got somethin' right… One mark for every bone my father broke," Butch bitterly growled, eyes sparkling furiously.

"Wow…" Oakley said, massaging her temples and grimacing.

"Butch…" Annie said, voice sympathetic.

"Mmm hmm," Butch murmured. Suddenly he dropped the twig and reached up to a sleeve, pulling it all the way up as far as it could go, holding it out.

"Oh Arceus!" Cassidy exclaimed in horror, covering her mouth with eyes wide in dread and shock.

"What the hell man?!" Tyson freaked.

"You think _that's_ bad?" Butch asked. He pulled up the other sleeve too and Cassidy let out a strangled cry.

"Shit…" Attila breathed.

"One scar for every time my old man beat me," Butch said, jaw setting and eyes blazing. "And then one night I fought back… I fought back, but he was stronger than me. The old man nearly bashed in my skull. Then he threw me outside probably hopin' I'd freeze to death or finish myself off. Almost gave him the satisfaction. Almost. Then decided he wasn't worth it. A couple nights later he got drunk like you wouldn't believe. Told me to drive him to some strip club… When we reached the city, I stopped the car. He was passed out and I got to thinkin'. Decided I had nothin' to lose then gunned it and drove straight into a gas pump at a station. I hoped I'd get blown up, but obviously that plan didn't pan out or I wouldn't be here with _you_. I got out alive so obviously an explosion didn't work as planned, but dad didn't stand a chance. Next thing I know I'm a foster teen, one of those ones who figure they're justified in being rebellious and running away from every place they're sent; a typical stupid kid like all of them."

"Harsh enough?" Domino murmured to James. He nodded in agreement.

"Sure, sure, I'm bein' harsh. Sue me. Not like there was much for me to be optimistic about," Butch replied. "After the first five or so times running away, Team Rocket picked me up and gave me a permanent residence. I got into the training program, and next thing I know I'm partnered with Cassidy and Raticate. Now I'm here with _you_ doorknobs sharin' my life's story. Or at least part of it. Didn't even mean to say _this_ much, just… like I said, once it starts comin', it's hard to stop…"

PKMN

For a long time it was quiet as they allowed themselves to digest all they'd been told. Cassidy gazed at her partner, lips parted in shock and grief. James was resting his head against his balled hands. Jessie sheepishly rubbed an arm, gazing at the ground which she suddenly found interesting. "What, now no one's gonna say anything to me? Spare me the pity party. I deal enough with the whole inferiority complex thing, what with the 'my name being forgotten on a daily basis' spiel. The other problems… I'm livin' with 'em… I certainly kept my past hidden well enough. The last thing I need is for you idiots to start treatin' me different now that I've spilled my guts to you. I'm over it. Now who's next?"

It was silent a bit longer, no one eager to delve into their own pasts. Finally, Jessie quietly replied, "I'll go, I suppose…" James automatically reached out, taking her hand and gently squeezing it. He knew a fair bit about his partner's past, but he had a feeling she would be elaborating a little more this time around. He didn't believe he liked the idea of her old wounds being reopened again. Jessie didn't speak for a time, organizing her thoughts. Finally, she said, "I was five when my mother disappeared, presumably killed in a blizzard. There was no father, at least not one I knew, and I was alone… Utterly alone… I was thrown unceremoniously into foster care, but the day my mother died was the day I knew I would never have a family again. Now don't get me wrong, my foster mother was wonderful, of course. I won't lie and say I despised her because I didn't. I loved her very much and I still do… But she wasn't my mother. I wouldn't let her be… Perhaps that's what I regret most. I regret that though dirt poor, hardly able to afford the basics, she did everything for me… and I was _monstrous_ to her… Little Jessie who every night would cry for her mother and scream to her foster parent that she hated her and that she wished she would die; little Jessie who fought against every attempt at a loving embrace that she made, at least for a time… I calmed down with age. Now she _is_ the mother I didn't let her be. Now she _is_ the family I never thought I'd have again. But for the way I treated her, one could be forgiven for thinking our relationship was nonexistent. It does exist, though, because that's just the sort of person she is… And I was an ungrateful little witch who didn't deserve her…"

"Jess…" Meowth began in concern.

"Quiet, Meowth. Let me go on," Jessie said. She trailed off for a moment, looking up at the sky. "We were so poor that she had to wash my hair in kerosene if there was nothing else… My clothes were always worn out and there was no room in the budget for makeup and other such novelties. For that reason, other girls picked on me incessantly. They taunted and laughed at me, threw small change at me in the halls making pathetic excuses for jokes about my financial state. They would rip at my hair or push me around in the girl's bathroom until finally… finally I stopped taking it. They regretted, from that day on, ever crossing me. Not even the _big_ boys dared to approach me when they saw I was enraged. I was a fighter, I was vicious, I was angry and resentful and so-so… I don't know… I don't know which words to use to describe it… Alone…? Distrusting, perhaps…?"

James winced, recalling his own father's confession of his childhood, and suddenly this story felt and became so much more real… In his early childhood he had hardly had to worry about such things as being in that state, but to envision all his partner must have went through, and his father as well once upon a time… "Oh Jessica," he softly said, sympathy in his eyes as he squeezed her hand lightly. The others were quiet, watching the fire. Butch didn't look up at her. Cassidy, however, watched her without emotion, neither taunting her nor showing her kindness. She just… watched…

"When I was ten, I met Astin. He was the first good thing to happen to me in so long, and he brought out a softer side of me that felt so right, like I didn't have to hide anymore… And then he left, and he wanted me to come but I couldn't because I was about to debut as a performer. Not only did I fail while my only two friends passed, but I lost him as well. I should have gone with him. I _wanted_ to… You only get one chance… I lost mine the night he left. Sometimes I look back and think how different it all could have been if I'd followed my heart… I miss him… My teenage years; that was when things got even _worse_."

"How so?" Oakley wondered cautiously. She didn't want to scare her off, after all.

"Well, I would sneak out late at night and crash nightclubs. I could pass for a much older woman. I would get drunk and dance late into the night with those who I called friends, when really they were little more than classmates at Pokémon Tech. I hooked up with men who were sometimes up to three times my age and more. There would be kissing, there would be… there would be touching… Sometimes there would be more… And every relationship ended badly… Either they would mistreat me or leave me, abuse me or use me. Some would, if I refused to give them all of me, attempt to drug me. So many times I found myself running or fighting back, and little by little my trust was stripped away until there was nothing left and I knew… I knew that I would never be able to rely on anyone again… The abuse wasn't always physical; sometimes it was emotional or verbal and I… I couldn't do it anymore… I gave up on love. That was it. No more. No more heartbreak, no more betrayal, no more trusting… I had become smarter and stronger by then, though, and more mature. At least to some extent. I was still fiery tempered, but I _was_ more grown up. After nursing school didn't work out, and after flunking out of Pokémon Tech with James, I went with him and joined a Bicycle Gang. I felt at home there, for a time, but it lost its novelty quickly. James and I went our separate ways after an incident, then Team Rocket came into my life and his once more, and the rest is history. You know the story from there. There was no partner who could handle or keep up to me until _you_ , James. At least not one I could count on."

PKMN

James pulled Jessie close, hugging her gently. "I'm here Jess," he murmured reassuringly. Butch still hadn't looked up from the marks he'd scraped into the sand, listening in silence.

Jessie sniffed, struggling to fight back tears. "Wow, it really _does_ pour out," she remarked.

Cassidy sighed deeply and looked down. "Then I guess it's my turn," she said. "I would have _been_ one of the girls who bullied you… But then not everything is black and white. It never has been and never will be. I was a spoiled girl, upper middleclass income, certainly not poor but not what you'd call rich. Snobby, arrogant, pompous, higher-than-thou, you get the gist."

"Well _you_ certainly haven't changed much," Jessie bit.

Surprisingly, Cassidy didn't retaliate. Instead she was quiet a moment. After a time, she said, "Maybe not, but it was all a way to cope, a way to hide… My mother was my world. Dad had ditched us before I was born. That didn't matter, though, because I was happy with my mom. She was safe. She was good. She protected me and she… she was a _good_ person… Social services didn't see it that way, and…" She trailed off. "I was seven when I was taken away from her… They didn't even give a reason… Mom just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was taken from her and I never saw her again. She killed herself not long after. It was just… It was too much… I wanted to erase her from memory, but I never could. Anyway, so social services tracked down my father, the creep who abandoned us in the first place. The only reason he took me in was because I came with mom's hefty life-insurance policy." She stopped and sighed. "He was mean… Cruel… He would say I was worthless, he would put me down, he'd tell me I should never hope to get married because no man with any sort of standard would have me. He would say I had a face only a mother could love, he would tell me I was fat even though I wasn't, he would say I looked like a raticate, he would say I was useless, he would say that he couldn't pay a man to take me. He often said I was worthless, I was stupid, I was foolish, I was trash…" She trailed off.

"Oh Cassidy…" Annie said. How could anyone _say_ such things to their own child?

"He threw in cheap and whorish and two-cent hooker after I lost my virginity. He said that on my back was the best place for me, that it was all I was smart enough to do… He said I should be grateful that _anyone_ would bother with me… He said it was the closest I'd probably ever get to getting any again," she said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tyson asked. She was quiet, rubbing her arms. Tears threatened her eyes. "Cassidy?" Tyson asked, tone softening a bit.

She closed her eyes tightly. "He… he meant it was the closest I'd ever get to having it when I actually _wanted_ it…"

Butch almost choked on the water he'd been sipping. "What?!" he all but shrieked. James looked aghast and Jessie appeared shocked. Hun's jaw twitched. Attila was fidgeting uneasily, suddenly wishing he'd never challenged Butch.

Cassidy closed her eyes tightly. "I was out one night with some friends. I lived farthest away and so I ended up walking alone. It was dumb. I shouldn't have been out that late by myself on those streets. I get it, it's not ever the victim's fault, but being out alone late at night in a rough part of town, _knowing_ its reputation…? There's a point where you can't deny some amount of stupidity played a part. He came out of an ally and grabbed me. He dragged me into it kicking and screaming… I couldn't fight him off… I was too humiliated to go to a hospital. I went home and told my father what happened, and he-he said…" She cut off, covering her mouth and trying to choke back a sob.

Butch raged, teeth gritting and eyes burning with hatred, multiple veins throbbing in his head. His fists were clenched so tightly you could bet blood was being drawn. He felt only hatred and wrath burning within him. So much so that they half expected him to leap up, barrel out of here, run all the way back to Cassidy's hometown on foot, find her father, and tear his head off with his bare hands. His body shook like an earthquake from fury and disgust. "He said that you should be grateful the freak even bothered to take the time to assault you. He told you that being raped by some creep was the closest you'd ever get to a guy wanting you," Butch deduced in a voice that amounted to a murderous, venomous whisper.

She sniffed, trying to compose herself, and breathing out a stream of air like she was trying to will herself not to hyperventilate, a hand on her chest as she attempted to calm down. "I believed him," she said, voice coming out in a wheeze. "I-I believed him! I was just, I was so desperate to be pretty and to fit in and to be worth _something_! I told myself that at least I was pretty enough that the guy decided I was worth the time. I-I…" She burst into tears, curling in on herself, burying her face in her knees. Butch bolted. He'd rip the son of a bitch apart! He'd eviscerate him! The man would look more like a pile of ground beef than a human by the time he was through! It took most of the others full out tackling and pinning him to stop him. He spat and hissed and fought like a wildcat to break free. They all but piled on him to keep him down. "The minute I had the opportunity to join Team Rocket I took it!" Cassidy continued furiously. "Irony of ironies? Team Rocket happened to be the organization that was responsible for my getting taken away from mom. Imagine having _that_ over your head. But I didn't care because I escaped dad. I escaped it all! Team Rocket helped me repair my self-confidence and self-worth. They helped me to feel like I was important to something again! They gave me back a reason to be, and I will _forever_ be grateful to them for that!"

"Let go!" Butch finally managed to spew in a shriek, at last finding his human words again instead of the feral snarls he'd been spitting. "I'll rip his heart out and make it a trophy!" Considering the man had one, Butch inwardly added. Shit, Cassidy's first time had been with a… He felt physically ill at the thought. He'd hunt that one down too, he decided. Castrate him, cut it off, feed it to him. Oh, that would be fun.

"Butch, Butch!" he finally processed a voice shouting. Attila. "Listen to me, she needs you _here_ now. She needs you to reassure her and be there for her. She needs her partner, not an avenger! She needs _you_ man, come on!" Butch strained once more to get free before collapsing with a sob and eventually ceasing to fight.

They pinned him for a good three minutes more before finally daring to let him up. He rose wordlessly and went to Cassidy, who was gazing at him with teeth gently clenched, her beautiful violet eyes glistening with tears as she stared at him in concern but also awe. He stared at her a moment, considered breaking for it once more, then sighed, deciding right now he was needed here. He went to her. She let out a shaky breath and fell against him. He held her tight. Absently he brushed a tear away lightly, gently nuzzling her head with his. What else could he do except for swear that if ever he met her father again, he would kill the man where he stood without hesitation? That that creep would make his partner feel so worthless and despised and unloved, that that creep would brush off what happened to her like it had been a favor to her… It infuriated him to no end.

PKMN

The others were silent. "Maybe we should stop," James softly murmured. This was becoming far more than they'd bargained for.

"No… Keep on. I'm _not_ going to be the only one here besides Butch and Jessie to open up like this and break down in front of everyone," Cassidy hissed, grip tightening on her partner. It wouldn't be fair! Why should she have to relive a nightmare while the rest of them got off scot free? If she was suffering this, so were they.

No one said anything for a long while. Finally, though, Attila spoke. "I'll go," he said. "I'll start by saying that every mistake I made was my own. I had a good and stable life. The only one who screwed that up was _me_. My uncle was a good man and raised me well enough on his ranch after mom and dad died. He was like my second father. He taught me everything he knew about pokémon wrangling, and I kept learning and progressing from there until I was one of the best in the world. Won championships, competitions, all sorts of stuff. Got pretty into the scene… Then I started mixing with the wrong crowd… That was my own stupidity. Started with chewing tobacco. Stopped that noise after learning my uncle got mouth cancer from it, and that without the proper treatments and a surgery he didn't have too long to live. I started joining contests and rodeos to try and get the money we needed to save him, but the stress from that and the added stress from having to take care of him—he was pretty weak, see, and I ended up having to be the bread-winner _and_ care provider—had taken its toll on me. I was just a kid, a teen, and the stress kept piling on and piling on until I just didn't know how to handle it anymore. It wasn't long before I got into the drinking scene."

"Been there," Butch said, grimacing.

"Yeah… Binged every chance I got. Nearly died from alcohol poisoning a good number of times. Never learned my lesson, or more specifically I _chose_ not to learn it. I was a violent drunk. Dangerously violent… Only started to clue in when I blacked out and woke up to see that I had nearly beaten my uncle to death. Called the hospital and ran away. Never looked back for years and years and years. I couldn't face him after that, and I definitely didn't want to face _myself_. I didn't want to see that beast leering back at me in the mirror… I was afraid of what I had become… I still am… I don't think I ever _stopped_ being scared of myself…" Attila said.

"Attila…" Annie began in concern, reaching out. He flinched away from her like he was afraid to let her touch him, and she winced. She bit her lower lip and bowed her head sadly.

"I liked to fight, and I was physically and verbally abusive to every friend I made, to everyone I cared about. My temper was unpredictable at best, and when I got drunk on a binge I got violent. So, so violent…" He looked at Annie. "More than one girlfriend suffered for that…" he said. She tensed and looked down, anger flashing in her eyes before becoming pity and regret. Attila turned to Hun. "And more than one friend," he added. Hun stayed quiet. Attila let out a shaky breath, looking away from his partner. "Before even that I was feeling myself losing control, and it was all just a huge downward spiral. I was heading for a crash landing and didn't know what to do or think anymore… Then Hun found me… Or I found Hun, actually. I was drunk out of my head and tried to get rough and fresh. That… didn't exactly work out."

"Ooh, I don't even want to know," Tyson said, grimacing. When threatened or attacked, Hun could get very… He wasn't sure of the word to use, frankly. Scary seemed an underestimation. So did dangerous. Perhaps vengeful was the term, or protective? Those didn't seem right either. Hun became very much like a cornered pokémon with nothing left to lose. Things got ugly when Hun went on the attack.

"Yeah… Woke up in a back ally to see Hun sitting on something and watching me with cold and appraising eyes. Tried to move, found out I was bound and realized fast that Hun was debating whether or not to kill me. A knife was dangling from between my partner's fingers, swinging back and forth like a pendulum and terrifying me. I began spewing useless threats, but my mouth felt heavy. Hun tucked the knife away, got up, went to me, and last thing I realized before passing out again was that Hun was kneeling at my side and feeling my pulse. I woke up in Rocket Headquarters, Hun and Sebastian at the foot of my bed discussing something about alcohol poisoning and my being a useful ally. Sebastian apparently knew of my reputation and was trying to convince Hun to consider taking on a partner, specifically me. Hun didn't do partners. Considered them an obstacle. We never officially partnered up until only very recently. Whenever we worked together prior to that, it wasn't as 'partners', per se. Just a couple people who got along well and would be useful to one another. Reason it took so long for Hun to agree to a partnership was probably my fault, honestly."

"It wasn't your fault," Hun firmly stated.

"Wasn't it, Hun? You knew about the binge drinking. You learned about the violent tendencies first hand," Attila said, frowning at his partner.

"That wasn't the reason," Hun said.

"I nearly killed you, Hun!" Attila snapped. "I beat you half to death just like I did my uncle. _Worse_ even!"

"Do you think I couldn't have killed you if I'd felt I needed to? You saw the knife. You know I could have defended myself. It was a test that you passed," Hun said.

Attila started, blinking blankly. "What?" he asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"A test of your willpower, a test of your personality, a test to see how serious and determined you were to change yourself for the better," Hun said. "You stopped yourself before you killed me. Willpower." Attila started, blinking. "The look of horror that crossed your face when you realized what you were about to do branded itself into my memory, the way you staggered back and away from me and looked liked you were ready to shoot yourself on command, the way you begged for forgiveness and apologized over and over and offered to suffer many things to pay for what you'd done. Personality."

"Hun, I…" Attila began.

"How frantically you tried to conquer your habits afterwards, how hard you fought to stop the drinking and the drugs, how you continued to try even despite relapses, how serious you were to change yourself for the better… Determination," Hun cut off, putting up a hand to silence Attila.

"And you did it, baby. You did it," Annie added before giving a grateful look to Hun. She turned back to Attila. "You stopped. You're better now."

"Am I?" he asked. He still struggled with the drinking thing sometimes. Often. They all knew as much. Since that time, though, he'd become so much better than he had been. It still didn't feel like enough to him, though. It would never be enough… "Team Rocket with their professors and doctors, Giovanni with his high standards and on-call psychs, Viper with his brutal training program… Joining Rocket probably saved my life. Definitely helped me reign in the drinking and drugging and partying." Annie reached out, covering his hand carefully. He flinched again, but at least this time he didn't jerk away.

PKMN

"I guess I'll go now," Tyson murmured. He looked up at the sky. "It was just me, my kid brother, and my dad. Mom died giving birth to Mondo. Pregnancy complications. Mondo came within a hair's breadth of being a stillbirth. Doctors couldn't revive him. They had to pull my dad away. I broke free and ran to my mom and brother. I took the baby into my arms and began trying to get him to wake up. I don't know how it happened, but he suddenly started to breathe again and began crying… Can you even imagine how it felt? To feel my baby brother come alive in my arms… I was gone in that second, hopelessly devoted to the pain. Damn I'm a sap for that kid. With luck _he'll_ never figure that out. Probably best for both of us if he never does. Not exactly the safest life to live, being part of Team Rocket."

"That's not fair to Mondo," Jessie said, frowning.

"What's not fair is letting him get overly attached and then ending up dead," Tyson replied.

"If you think he's not attached already, you're sorely mistaken," Annie said. "I learned _that_ the hard way." Oakley winced.

Tyson shifted slightly uncomfortably and chose to ignore the remark. "My relationship with my father and brother was good and strong. There were no problems at all say for the generic stuff. He loved us and threw himself into being a full-time dad after mom died. Even got a job as a teacher in my school so he could spend time with me. He'd bring Mondo to work with him, plop him in a playpen, and commence teaching. Everything was good, great in fact… Until it wasn't… The town we lived in was small. We had a one-room schoolhouse. One janitor worked there. Something wasn't entirely… right with him. Serious mental problems that went undiagnosed and undiscovered until too late. To make a long story short, one day he snapped. Initiated a lockdown, barricaded the school so no one could get out, and went arsonist. The place went up like tinder… I could hear the screaming and crying of other children as they… as they burned…" The others, say for Hun, visibly shuddered at this.

"Lunatic," Domino whispered under her breath.

"Hearing it was nothing compared to seeing and smelling it," Tyson darkly stated. The others began shifting, uneasily looking at the flames of the fire they had set up here. Well, if nothing else this was explaining why Tyson had put a good distance between himself and it. Really more lingering in the background than sitting with them. "My father grabbed Mondo and shoved him in my arms. The baby was just-just screaming and crying and panicking, and all I could do was-was hold him… Our father did his best to protect his students, as many as he could… Still wasn't enough to save them… Only a choice few survived the nightmare. Among them was me and Mondo. Us because our father threw himself over us as the smoke and flames began to catch his clothes. All the screams and the smell and the death… Mondo was suddenly so quiet and still… We would have died there, except just then a window was broken open. One the class had failed to break. It wasn't big enough for dad to squeeze through, but it was big enough for him to get me and my brother and what students he could out. While he was burning alive, he passed me and my brother up to the people reaching inside. All I could see through the smoke was the letter R emblazoned on their shirts."

"Team Rocket," Oakley realized.

Tyson nodded. "Yeah… The ones who'd saved us, I later learned, were Lieutenant Surge and Drill Sergeant Viper back when they were still just agents. I passed out. The next thing I know I'm waking up to paramedics trying to pry Mondo from my arms. I fought them back furiously, I wouldn't let go, and soon they let it be seeing as Mondo was starting to move and cry again. I heard the firemen talking about how there would have been a lot more loss of life if not for the mysterious helpers, who no one had seen, that had come and pulled as many as they could from the flames. Then I was asking for my dad and they were telling me he was never coming back, and I was an orphan… They came to take me and Mondo into foster care, but Drill Sergeant Viper, acting independently, beat them to it and spirited me and Mondo away. Not to Team Rocket, but to his personal home. He became our foster father but let me tell you, he didn't have an easy time of it. First chance I got, I took Mondo and ran away. I didn't trust him. He was a stranger I'd never heard of claiming to be a long-lost relative. I was twelve, but I wasn't a moron. I called his BS and made my escape… Should have stayed right where I was…"

"It was smarter to run," Hun said quietly. "Had he been anyone else…" the agent trailed off. James tensed up ever so slightly.

"But he _wasn't_ anyone else, and running away was probably the dumbest thing I could have done. What was I thinking? How did I ration I could take care of a baby by myself? After dad's death I felt solely responsible for my brother. Wouldn't let anyone else help take care of him no matter what. _I_ fed him, _I_ clothed him, _I_ bathed him and changed him and put him to bed and told him stories. I didn't know it was supposed to be formula he was drinking. I thought it was just milk in a bottle that dad would give him. Needless to say, he started to starve. I didn't know how to change a diaper or potty train. Needless to say, he started developing rashes and sores. He'd cry all the time and I didn't know what to do. I tried covering his mouth and almost ended up smothering him. The stress and agony and guilt kept growing and growing and growing. I felt helpless and useless. I couldn't save mom, I wasn't strong enough to save dad, I wasn't good enough to save Mondo. It was because of me mom and dad were gone, and it would be because of me that Mondo was going to be gone too. Finally, in a desperate attempt to save the baby, I went to a pokémon center and began quizzing the nurse about what babies needed to eat, among other stuff, like how to bath them properly and how to swaddle them and how to stop them from crying. I went to parks and spied on parents with infants, watching how they changed diapers and the things they used. I stumbled my way through the motions, but it wasn't long before I didn't have the money to keep taking care of _myself_ let alone my brother, so I went back to Viper. I didn't have a choice!" Tyson continued, starting to sound like he was edging on panic like he was reliving that terror, sounding like he was desperate for validation, desperate for someone to understand why he'd done what he'd done. "I didn't-I didn't know what else to do or who else to-to go to, I just…"

He cut off, catching his breath sharply and looking quickly up when he felt a grounding hand on his shoulder. Hun. "Breathe. It's alright… I know what it feels like to have no other choice…" Hun remarked in a murmur. James's eyes were fixed painfully and guiltily on Hun. Hun, catching the look, frowned. "Don't," the agent warned James, sensing what was going through the other's mind. James gritted his teeth, eyes shining, and looked quickly away, closing them tight.

Tyson took a few calming breaths, slowing the heartrate he hadn't realized was speeding up so much until now. After a moment, he continued. "I went back to Viper. Viper made it all go away… He took care of Mondo's sores, he fed him properly and got him healthy again. For the first time in forever I ate a decent meal… He tried… He tried so hard… He tried to take the burden off me, but he couldn't because… because Mondo was my brother and so I should take care of him, and despite everything Viper tried to do for us I still made Mondo my responsibility as much as I could get away with. It was stressful, it was agonizing, and guilt ate away at me every day and all the more as I got older and realized everything I had been doing wrong and how close _I_ came to killing him. Me, not anything else. And all that pain and confusion just kept building and building, and I couldn't deal with it… Suicidal thoughts started creeping in… I began planning ways to kill myself without being found out or stopped… Tried a few plots, ended up in hospital more than once, then Viper gave me a lecture about how I needed to be strong for Mondo so that Mondo wouldn't have to lose another family member. It didn't go as well as he'd hoped. Yeah, I stopped trying out suicide plans, but instead I mercilessly self-punished. If I wasn't good enough at something, I forced myself into agonizing workout routines that lasted all day and night, or threw myself into painful training sessions that defied death and tested the limits of my endurance. If I did something wrong or felt I hadn't been good enough, I punished myself by not eating or sleeping until I fainted dead away. I needed to get stronger, I needed to get better. For Mondo I had to. I don't even want to imagine the heartache it caused Viper… Oh the _hell_ I put him through… One day I came across him in a private place. He was… he was praying… For _me_ … Viper didn't pray. Hated the concept. The legendries were just tools to be used, not gods… But he made an exception for me… I realized in that moment that I wasn't the only one who was suffering so badly it ached to breathe… I went home, went to sleep, and the next day at breakfast I told Viper I needed help and wanted to get it. He almost broke down. Didn't say a word, hugged me tight instead, and the look of relief that crossed my brother's face… I had thought I'd been hiding my problems from him, protecting him from the truth, but when I saw that look, I knew I'd doubly screwed up. He'd known, or suspected, the whole time, and it took every ounce of willpower I had, and a reserve of Viper's, to resist the urge to self-punish again. The hardest thing I have _ever_ done in my whole life was drag myself into Professor Sebastian's office with Viper and beg him for help…"

PKMN

Hun's eyes were closed. The agent kept a hand on Tyson's shoulder but said nothing and didn't look up at anyone. Neither did James… As always there was quiet as this story was digested by the rest of them. Soon Domino sighed and said, "Guess it's my turn, then. I was just a kid when my dad left my mom. It devastated her. For years she was just unhappy and miserable and withdrawn. Then she met the man who'd become my step-father. He was a good guy, always nice to me. I never felt uncomfortable around him at all, and it felt… it felt good to have a dad again… But he had a problem. He was into gambling. _Really_ into it. Addicted to it. I didn't notice at first. Not until the first fight he and mom had about money disappearing from their accounts. I started to understand the depths of it when things in our house began to go missing… Then I saw the harsh reality of it when he wagered _me_ in a bet… One night he came to my room and said there were people downstairs he wanted me to meet. He led me down and there was a group of men there. Men I'd never seen. He offered me to them and the man who stood in front of the others looked at me a long time then knelt and asked how old I was. He asked me about what I wanted to do when I got older. He asked me about whether I wanted to go on a pokémon journey and what kind of pokémon I wanted to catch. When he finished talking to me, he told me to go back to my room. I heard him start to shout at my step-father that I was just a little girl. I heard him tell the man he had one last chance, and then they left. That man was Giovanni, and later that night he sent Tyson, who'd been with him, to my house to confront my mother about what my step-father had just tried to do. She was given an ultimatum, her husband or me. She begged for a chance to fix my step-father before she had to choose. She couldn't. He tried to wager me again in a game not even a month later. The men that came that time were all too eager… Mom tried to stop them. They threw her aside. Whether they killed he or not I don't know to this day, and I'm not even sure I care anymore. The men grabbed me to take me away, but then, like they'd been watching since the night they'd first come to my house, Team Rocket was there. They put down those men like dogs and took my step-father prisoner. I don't know what happened to him and again, I'm not sure I even care. I was brought to Team Rocket headquarters and presented to Giovanni. He took me in and commanded that my training commence immediately."

"We were watching. I insisted on it," Tyson confirmed. "Giovanni agreed."

"Thank you," Domino said gratefully. She looked over the others. "I know the rumors about me that are floating around. That I slept my way into my rank… Pretty sure _most_ of you think I did. In a way you're right. I slept my way into a lot, but my position wasn't one of those things. I slept my way into being allowed to stay when I failed the training program the first time. The Drill Sergeant at the time, Viper's predecessor, told me to pack up and go. I begged for another chance and an officer who overheard spoke in my behalf. When I thanked him, he said he hadn't done it without a price… He propositioned me. I refused. He threatened me, said I didn't have the skill or the talent or anything to make it on my own in Rocket. He said he was my only chance at being allowed to stay and that he could just as easily have me thrown out. I had nowhere to go out there! I felt trapped. I felt like I had no choice… So, I paid his price…"

"Son of a _bitch_ ," Cassidy said.

"What? Domino, what are you…? Who was he?!" Attila furiously demanded, enraged to hear this.

"He's dead now, so it doesn't matter, does it?" Domino answered, a bitter tone in her voice. "I slept my way into passing theory as well, because even though I got the answers right, the man marking the test had other plans. He said that he could fail me. He told me the drill sergeant wouldn't suspect a thing because he took the grades he was given at face value and never rechecked the tests to see if they'd been marked properly. If I failed theory, I would be kicked out or killed he claimed, so I did what I had to. When Viper took over as drill sergeant, I dared think it was over. Maybe I didn't have to worry about training or bad marks anymore, but that wasn't the only way they could get to me, was it? I was a dog on a leash. I was new and vulnerable and didn't know what was the truth and what was an exaggeration, and I did whatever I thought I needed to, to stay alive and a member of Team Rocket… I'd be rewarded with promotions if I cooperated, punished if I didn't. The officer who first took particular interest in me decided to make me his 'partner', eventually. Ragdoll would be more accurate… He held my fate in his hands, and it killed me inside, the things I had to do to stay alive or part of the team… I just-I wanted it to end… One day I asked another girl who I had to impress to get promoted. She told me about Tyson. I wanted so badly to rise above the station of the officer who was my partner, so I could leave him behind and be free of him. I _needed_ to be free of him. So, I devised a plan to guarantee I would see that promotion. I knew what Tyson would want in exchange. It's what they always wanted. I told myself it would be just one last time, and then I'd be free…"

"Goddammit Domino," Tyson said, drawing a hand down his face.

"I went into his room late one night. I woke him up. He asked me why I was there, and I told him I couldn't sleep. He told me he wasn't a babysitter and he didn't plan on singing any lullabies… I told him in the most seductive voice I could that I hadn't come for a lullaby… He caught on. He couldn't even believe what he'd just heard. I went to his bed and knelt on it. Suspicious bastard he was, he asked me why I wanted to do this. I told him I was an ambitious woman. He caught on… He caught on and refused my offer and demanded to know why the hell I skipped straight to sex to get a promotion instead of trying to prove through actions what I was capable of. I tried to dirty-talk him, but he-he'd have none of it," she said, a smile crossing her lips briefly before disappearing again. "He asked again why I was doing this." She turned to him. "You asked me so sincerely… You sounded so concerned… You didn't speak angrily to me, even though I know you were furious, just… worry," she murmured. "So I told you it was what everyone else seemed to want, and you put the pieces together in seconds, and you didn't even wait before you were up and bringing me straight to drill sergeant Viper to demand answers."

Tyson blinked, feeling a burning heat rising to his cheeks. He glanced away, clearing his throat a bit. "I did what I had to," he murmured, a bit flustered.

She smiled softly and turned back to the others. "Viper was stunned. Furious. He gave me permission to kill the officer who was my partner, as well as any other man who'd done those things to me, as a way of proving my skill. And I think for my own satisfaction as well. He told me to get Tyson's help if I needed it. So, I went out and I did it. I killed almost all the men who had exploited me… And Giovanni found out, and he all but ordered my execution until Tyson stepped in for my sake and told the boss all that had happened to me. Giovanni was enraged. To make up for the two years I was sleeping my way into everything under the sun, he personally took me under his wing and trained me. From that day on he felt responsible for me and brought me up like I was a surrogate daughter. He kept me close to him and away from anyone he suspected might hurt me, and Tyson self-appointed himself my bodyguard from that day on too. If he spotted me being harassed, someone ended up in the infirmary. If anyone put their hands on me with any kind of malicious intent, they ended up in the morgue. Giovanni all the while watched and saw my potential, and that potential coupled with all he felt he owed me for how long I'd suffered, convinced him to make me an Elite Officer eventually. Maybe it didn't totally make up for what happened to me, but at least it was a start."

PKMN

Tyson reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder firmly. "Nothing like that will ever happen to you again," he vowed. She tilted her head, lips parting slightly before she blushed, cleared her throat, and looked quickly away.

"Now's as good a time as ever to tell our story, I guess," Oakley murmured.

Annie hugged her sister tightly, sadness and regret in her eyes. "I'll start," she gently told Oakley. Oakley nodded. Annie looked up at the others. "We grew up with both a mother and a father for most our lives, but it was a roller coaster ride. I was daddy's favorite, his precious little princess, while Oakley was the unwanted accident. On the other end of the spectrum, Oakley was mommy's favorite, the one she considered to be worthwhile while I was the useless layabout."

"Daddy was a paranoid schizophrenic, always seeing things that didn't exist or hearing things that weren't there. There was conspiracy in everything. One day he went totally off his rocker crazy and started believing mom, me, and Annie weren't his family and that we were body-snatchers or some other stupid thing. He thought that maybe if he killed the 'body-snatchers' he would get us back… He caught mother first, but mother retaliated and stabbed him over and over. She left him for dead and dragged Oakley and I out of the house to bring us somewhere else. Police were called, and paramedics, and dad survived but ended up in a psychiatric ward… He was never the same. He might as well have been dead," Oakley said.

"Our mother became cold and negligent, even more than she already _had_ been. Especially to me. Oakley was her prize, I was her disappointment… Then it was only me and my sister against the world… Mom made it her sole goal in life to train her daughters up to be the most ruthlessly efficient, dangerous hunters in the world; specimens that were deadly, beautiful, treacherous, greedy, perfect…" Annie said.

"Woman did a god job if _that_ was her goal," Attila half flirted.

Annie smirked at him, but her smile fell. "She did… All our skills we learned or inherited from her. It was how she went about it that sucked. If we failed her or let her down, we would be punished severely. Put down, insulted, beaten with a stick or whip, locked in the basement and starved a few days… It was horrible… Mom would constantly compare me to Oakley. Oakley was her clone, the image of herself. Dad of course did nothing. He tried, but ultimately it was fruitless. Eventually he just gave up. Finally I just… I had enough… I ran away and left my sister behind. I thought that maybe because Oakley was mom's favorite, she'd be safe. Maybe mom would go easy on her after I'd left… She wasn't safe, and I was very wrong…"

"My mother wanted me exactly like her. She wanted me to be her successor. She wanted to live on through me, wanted me to _be_ her. Down to the pokémon she wanted it. She was the one who gave me Ariados, in fact, and tried to get rid of Vileplume, but I hid Vileplume from her at least. When Annie ran away, I was devastated. Dad would tell me I was the reason Annie left, tell me my sister abandoned me, and that killed me inside. Mom would tell me all I needed was her, that Annie and daddy should be nothing to me, that I needed to forget them, but I couldn't. Because of mother's abuse, father's negligence, and my sister's perceived abandonment, I began to deal with a lot of issues and self-loathing. Mom intensified her training program for me. I had a sweet tooth, I liked eating, and she wanted that habit gone. After all, that was no way to become a perfect physical specimen. Whenever she found out I'd eaten something she deemed bad, or found out I had eaten too much of anything, she'd force me into the bathroom and make me throw it up, spewing insults about my looks and what would happen to my body, and severely distorting my self-image. After a while _I_ was the one who made myself start to throw up, and I was the one who stopped eating."

"Oakley, anorexia bulimia? You?" Jessie asked in surprise and shock, looking concerned.

Oakley nodded a small nod. "Yeah… Not the one you'd expect would develop it, I guess… And as time passed, I started to hate and resent my sister. I started to stop fighting my mother and accepted it as my life, and I just went through the motions, biding my time and plotting… One day I think I might have killed her. Mom that is…"

"Meanwhile, I was out there trying to find a job, trying to earn enough money that I could buy myself a place and could go back to take my sister away from our psycho mother. In retrospect, I probably should have told her that was my plan from the start. Then maybe it wouldn't have happened like it did. I tried so many times to get a good job, but I couldn't… In the end I resorted to prostitution…" Attila started and sharply looked at her, eyes wide. She wasn't meeting his gaze.

"Annie?" James said in shock, eyes wide.

"What?! You told me you freelanced for clients who…" Oakley began. She froze. "Wanted your services…" she finished, sounding shocked. "Oh my god… You told me you meant your spying and bounty hunting, Annie!"

"Well now I'm telling you the truth. The service they wanted was sex," Annie said.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Oakley freaked.

"Because then you would've felt guilty and beaten yourself up about it and felt like it was all your fault I had to do what I did. You would have started thinking that if I'd only had to worry about myself, I wouldn't have had to go there. You'd be wrong. I did all of it for you. I'd do it all again happily to get you away from anything hurting you. Maybe you'll still do all that now, but you're in a more mentally sound place than you were when we were teenagers, so maybe now you'll actually be able to cope in a healthy way instead of doing what others here, including me, have done. You may be team leader, Oakley, and the serious down-to-business one, but I'm still the big sister, and I'm still going to protect you."

"Why would you do that?!" Oakley shouted.

"For us! So we could be free, baby sister," Annie replied, taking her shoulders. "And yeah, I was hurt. Often. I was made to do the most humiliating, demeaning things. I felt worthless and cheap, but I needed to get you out of that house before our mother warped you completely, beyond what you could come back from. I _needed_ to." Oakley stared at her sister, eyes glistening and quivering with tears and lips parted in shock. She clenched her teach and closed her eyes, turning away and gasping back a sob. "Don't do that. Please don't do that. I don't regret what it took to get you away from our mom."

"Hunter J was never a mom! She was a sociopathic nut job!" Oakley furiously shouted, turning to her sister.

"Hunter J?!" James and Jessie exclaimed together.

"White hair, badass pokémon hunter, highly efficient and ruthless thief, greedy, had an ariados, yeah. Mom was, or is, pokémon hunter J," Annie said. "And please don't tell us what happened to her, because we could care less whether she died or survived her run-in with you and the twerps."

"When Annie came back for me, after she'd bought a place with her blood money apparently…" Oakley began.

"Oakley…" Annie began, sounding a bit hurt and guilty.

"I wanted nothing to do with her," Oakley continued, ignoring. "In fact, I almost killed her for daring to show her face again. On our mother's order. J told me to prove myself the ruthless and efficient fighting machine she'd turned me into, and to get rid of my 'useless and inferior sister', as she put it. Annie fought back, begging me to listen to her, begging me to let her explain, but I was so angry and so broken and so-so resentful… She put up one hell of a fight, but ultimately she wasn't able to defeat me. I'd had a lot longer to train under mom than she had, and it showed… But when it came to delivering the death blow, I couldn't do it… I couldn't take my sister's life… So mom said I was useless too, her biggest disappointment, and she tried to execute me. Annie got between me and mom's knife and took multiple stab wounds before I snapped out of the shock and leapt into action. I fought mother off but didn't take the time to kill her. Annie needed help. I stole the car, drove away, and never looked back. I took Annie straight to a hospital, and when she recovered, she and I got as far away from that life and place as we possibly could. We were forced to scrounge out a living with what money we had, forced to grow up long before we should have… It was a nightmare, but I had been brought away from my mom, and we were free of our parents and had each other, and that was all we needed to will ourselves to keep going. Some time later we joined Team Galactic. We rose in the ranks and became two of their top agents. We were sent on a mission, ordered to capture or kill two of Rocket's top agents. Those two happened to be Attila and Hun, and they bested us. First and only ones who ever had up to that time. The deal was simple. Leave Galactic and join up with or freelance solely for Rocket, we lived. If we refused, we died. Our responses were basically bite me. Attila looked to Hun for direction, Hun stared at us. Hun turned and walked away saying that we'd come around. Obviously, we did. We're here now, aren't we?"

PKMN

There was quiet. "Is your mother still around, then?" Domino asked.

"She drowned in the lake, didn't she James?" Jessie asked.

"As far as _I_ knew," James replied.

"Was there a body found?" Oakley asked. Jessie and James grimaced, exchanging looks. "Then you don't know for sure if she's dead or alive."

"And until we do, every day we'll fear her finding us," Annie answered honestly. "But now we can handle her. We're strong enough to. We _have_ to be. Now who's next?" she asked, not wanting to talk about it anymore. All that was left were James and Hun.

"What about you, Hun?" Attila said.

"No," Hun said.

"We all agreed, Hun, and now everyone else has gone except James," Domino prompted.

"I said no," Hun firmly answered, glaring dangerously at her. She tensed up. That was a look they all knew not to argue with.

"The deal was…" Cassidy began.

"I didn't agree to any deal," Hun flat out stated, rising. "I'm going to search around the perimeter." Without waiting for a reply, the agent moved away from them. James watched after the other sadly. Hun didn't go so far as to be out of earshot, stopping in the doorway of the barn and gazing at the moon, but didn't turn back either. No one was brave—rather stupid—enough to press any further. James looked down silently. He knew all eyes were on him now. Maybe… maybe if _he_ opened up, one day in the future it would prompt Hun to… He closed his eyes tightly. He wished the others weren't looking at him. For once he was longing to fade into nothingness…

PKMN

"How old, Jessie, do you believe I was when I left home?" James asked after a moment.

"I'd assume anywhere from ten to thirteen?" she replied.

"Think back to the missing poster," James wryly replied. She thought back to the day they'd seen the missing poster with a little James on it and started, sharply looking at him. He didn't mean… But he'd looked younger than _Ash_! "That was the most recent picture my parents had had of me. I was seven or eight when I ran away in an attempt to escape the societal rules of the upper-class and my future wife. The story I told you about the little boy freezing to death in the snow… It was true, most of it. I was found half-frozen in front of a church, hypothermic, with Growlie trying desperately to warm me. My rescuer was… Was someone who became very dear to me." He glanced towards Hun. The others would probably think he was just concerned about the other, but Hun knew, shoulders tensing slightly and head bowing. James looked at the rest again. "My rescuer cared for me and tended to me for months and months, but when I got sick didn't know what to do… My savior wasn't all that much older than me and didn't understand how to handle my illness. I was brought back to the man my companion had run away from, because my companion didn't know any better and didn't know what else to do. That man took us in. Growlie was gone by then. My savior didn't trust the man, but believed the stranger was my only hope of survival… My savior was right not to trust. The creep's motives were _far_ from noble… He nursed me back to health, true enough, but because my friend didn't trust him, _I_ certainly wasn't about to. Against my better judgement I stayed. I didn't relish the idea of either returning home or living off the streets like some common peasant. I was given a room to share with my friend. Unbeknownst to me, that room wasn't an original part of the home. I didn't know until a night before we escaped, that…" He trailed off.

"That?" Cassidy pressed.

"That every night the man locked the secret door and shoved a bookshelf in front of it," James replied. The others, say for Hun, all gasped. Where was this going, they wondered? Did they _want_ to know? Hun was watching James stoically now, an unspoken understanding in the agent's gaze that they and only they knew.

"Things happened, things best not spoken of, but ultimately it led to us trying to run. The man caught me… Only my companion escaped, and then… Never mind. Suffice it to say then I was free too, but I never saw my friend again… I remember that during our captivity the man would come to us every night. He would pet my back while I pretended to sleep because if I was awake… If I was awake he would kiss me disturbingly forcefully, feigning innocence in the matter. It was best to be asleep. I didn't understand what he was doing, but I didn't like it. I told myself it was okay, but… but he would always take my friend away somewhere, and-and my companion—the one who had become like a sibling to me—would always come back, barely able to walk, always in pain and always humiliated, and I didn't understand why… The man used to touch me as I slept or faked it… He used to dress me in girl's clothes when we played dress-up, and went so far as to ensure I would be awake when he came to me at night. My companion knew it was only a matter of time before his grooming became something else… I think part of _me_ knew too, I just… I didn't want to accept it… I'm not quite sure _what_ I thought, but when the time to run came, I knew we had to escape," James said.

"James…?" Jessie began uncertainly as she placed a concerned hand on his lap, almost afraid to hear where this was going.

He smiled weakly at her. The smile fell as he thought back, then he continued, saying, "My friend used to tell me that I would be alright if the time came I had to be alone… And I _was_ … at least to a degree. I was free, and after I got over my companion not being there anymore, and after I accepted that… that the one who had saved me was gone and never coming back, I became alright. Almost happy, actually enjoying my adventure. Shortly after getting away I began to feel hunger. Usually my companion and I would steal or eat from dumpsters when we were on the streets before I got sick. Now I saw my rations were depleted, and for the first time I began to realize the severity of what I had gotten myself into." James said.

" _You_ lived on the streets?" Butch incredulously asked.

"Right up until Team Rocket," James confirmed. "You've all always assumed I didn't know what it was like to be poor, but when a child runs away from home at seven with nothing, he isn't going to magically obtain something. I know intimately what it is to have nothing. I just never show as much… Let's see, I joined Pokémon Tech where I met Jessie. It was Nanny and Pop-Pop who put me through. Of course, they never knew of my second life, only enough to know that I didn't want my parents to find me. They assumed, I suppose, that I had been taken in by someone rich given the way I dressed… Of course, if they had ever been able to see the ways in which I _earned_ that money… Regardless, I couldn't go to them for help. My pride and foolishness in youth wouldn't allow such a display, so when Jessie and I flunked out I followed her right into the Bicycle Gang… There was a falling out between us at some point. She left first, then after a near-death experience…"

" _What_?!" Jessie demanded.

"After a near-death experience, I left that all behind too," James said, avoiding the question.

"How did you make it after that?" Cassidy wondered in disbelief, doubtful. She could hardly believe the words he was saying. Jessie, for her part, was stunned, unsure what to think. He had never said _anything_ of this before, not even to her, and besides this was James. She'd thought him so pathetic that he wouldn't have survived a _night_ in the streets on his own. He was too soft. Admittedly he was a grand storyteller, but this… This felt more real than that. They waited for James's answer patiently.

For a long moment James was quiet, gazing into the fire. After a time, he drew a deep breath and let it out shakily, nervous. "I used what I had, beauty and charm. I wasn't unappealing to the eye. I had a look about me—slightly girlish but masculine at the same time—that easily attracted both male and female attention. With a seductive glance, a sultry word with what you must admit is an incredibly sensual voice, or a smile, I could eat food from the platters of _rich_ men, take a woman for every coin in her coffer. When luck wasn't with me I dumpster dove or stole, albeit very reluctantly, and only when I knew I had no other alternative. I always managed to escape detection, and even when caught I could either make a smooth getaway or charm some pity and mercy out of those from whom I was stealing… But sometimes it wasn't enough, the theft, the flirtations…"

"What do you mean?" Jessie asked, her every muscle tensing and her eyes filling with uncertainty. Something was going to be said here very soon, and it wouldn't be pleasant to hear.

Again, James was quiet. That was when _Butch_ caught on. "You didn't," he said. James looked sharply up at him, eyes burning. "You were a prostitute like Annie?!" Butch exclaimed loudly. James winced at the bold statement. Annie started. Hun spun around fully this time, eyes flaming dangerously.

"That depends on what you mean by prostitute," James replied.

"What the heck's _that_ s'posed to mean?" Butch demanded.

"It means I danced a fine line. I hired myself out as an escort, yes, I could pass for older than I was easily enough. However, I rarely let it get beyond some kissing and grooming. I had my ways. I could play on emotions like a fiddle, breaking down into sobs and spinning a tale of woe, conveying to them that I was afraid and didn't want to do something, begging them not to make me. I played up my innocence and naivety like there was no tomorrow. Most of the time they pitied me and sent me off without a scratch and a generous sum of money, you see. When it didn't work out that way…" He trailed off.

"When it didn't work out that way, what?" Hun darkly asked.

James tensed up a bit. "There might be a fight. Sometimes a very bad one. I would usually win and take all that I could that was of value, then try and flee… Usually I managed to slip away. Sometimes it didn't work out like that and I ended up beaten to a pulp in an alley," James said.

"Did you end up anything else?" Hun asked firmly.

James winced, blushing deeply as the others fixed their eyes on him. After a moment he replied, "It… was a shameful period in my life that I'd rather not delve into. I usually managed to slip away, albeit often in quite a bad way. When I couldn't get away, I mostly got lucky and someone happened by before it was too late for me."

"Mostly," Hun pointed out. "Mostly or always?"

"There were… very close calls… Sometimes, before I was saved or slipped away, something would begin to happen, but I always managed to find an opening to break away before the worst occurred," James said.

"And what, precisely, do you consider 'the worst' to be?" Hun asked darkly. 'The worst' was far too broad a term for the officer to be comfortable with.

"The life was stressful and hard. I suffered with severe depression, and I attempted once to kill myself…" James began, quickly changing the subject.

"You _what_?!" Jessie screamed, enraged at this news.

James looked up at her in horror. "I backed down, I backed down! I threw myself from the bridge, yes, but not necessarily with intent to die! _Meowth_ knows about this, talk to _him_ , not me!" he defended immediately, terrified at the blow-up. Meowth was too stunned to react, lips parted and tears threatening his eyes at the revelation. Finally, _finally_ , he was learning what the human who had so long ago saved him had been going through and feeling at the time of the bridge incident. Now he was regretting ever learning. He supposed it was too late to un-hear, now, so now it was a matter of digesting it all without feeling sick at himself for not seeing it _sooner_. Weren't pokémon supposed to get sort of a sixth-sense when it came to stuff like that?

"James, if you don't…" Jessie began.

"Let him talk," Hun ordered sharply, returning to them at a slightly faster than normal pace. Jessie scowled at Hun but fell silent, relenting.

James cleared his throat. "Thank you, Hun," he said, though he probably wouldn't be thanking the other for long. He got the feeling they were going to be having a long talk soon enough. "After the bridge incident I left that place and moved on with a new outlook on life. I stopped what I had been doing and instead began competing in contests with a renewed belief in innocence and naivety—if you could dare call it that after all I'd gone through, and I _do_ dare—that fought off the darkness I would have otherwise been consumed by," he narrated.

PKMN

Mutual silence fell over the group. They'd said all that needed to be said. What else was there left to do? Hun wouldn't speak, and it was midnight now. They needed to go to sleep. Without any words to each other, they went to their separate spots and lay down to rest. When the morning came there were still no words to be exchanged between them. Silently they packed up their things, preparing to return to the Rocket outpost and make a report. They heard a big yawn and glanced over at Raticate and Meowth, who had somehow ended up curled together and were now waking at the same time. The two pokémon yelped on seeing each other and sprang apart, hissing and growling. Raticate was returned and Meowth went grumpily to James and Jessie before looking up at them both sympathetically. Once they'd packed up, Domino called ahead to the outpost. Once that was done, the group headed off.


	9. Return Home

Return Home

(A/N: Did not edit this, not a lot of time today, so apologies for any mistakes made.)

Team Rocket's journey carried on in silence. They had little to say to each other. Little they _dared_ to say. It was awkward to say the least, and James dreaded facing Hun. Hun had planned to talk last night, James knew, but he'd feigned sleep to avoid it. Hun hadn't bothered to wake him or try to call him out, but there wouldn't be any hiding from his okina kyodai for much longer. The more time that passed with Hun doing nothing, the tenser James became until finally he couldn't take it anymore. He gritted his teeth and _he_ made the first move. Pursing his lips, he moved ahead of Jessie and Meowth and came up alongside Hun tentatively. Hun glanced over and slowed the pace.

"I'm ready now. To talk," James said.

"Hmm… Perhaps there's not as much to be said as I had first thought," Hun answered. "Every question I considered asking I've answered for myself."

"Distortedly or honestly?" James asked.

Hun was quiet. "What is the worst part of a story in your eyes, James? The introduction, the climax, or the conclusion?" the agent soon asked.

James tensed up, understanding the euphemism immediately. For a moment he was quiet. "The climax," he finally answered quietly. "I never experienced a story beyond a few pages before I put it down."

Hun's jaw twitched, eyes darkening ever so slightly. "Have you had thoughts of suicide recently?"

"No," James answered. "I promise I haven't. Perhaps every so often they make an appearance, but never with serious intent."

"Do you suffer depression still?" Hun asked.

James was quiet. "Yes," he finally admitted. "But it's not nearly as severe as it once was."

"Should you find those thoughts creeping up on you, or feel yourself becoming very depressed, you know where you can come, correct?" Hun asked.

James was quiet. "I know you want me to say to you, but… but there's so much you have to deal with already. You carry enough without me adding my burden to your load," he soon said.

"It's easier to share burdens," Hun answered.

"Except you haven't shared any of yours," James said. "I refuse to add onto what you already have unless you're willing to let me take some of yours in exchange."

Hun sighed. "I've dealt with my load, James," the agent said.

"Then why couldn't you talk about it?" James questioned.

"Because I will add no more to _yours_ ," Hun answered.

James started, then looked down sadly. "I want to be there for you. Like you've always been for me. Why won't you let me?"

"You _have_ been there for me, otouto. More than you know. Do you know you are the sole reason I am alive today?" Hun answered gently. James looked up, a bit startled. "That day I found you freezing in the snow was the day I planned to end my life."

"What?" James asked, looking terrified and sick at the thought. Hun's jaw twitched, and the agent turned away, speeding up to catch up with Attila. "Hun, wait!" James said.

"I won't add anything more to your shoulders than you already bear! And you _will_ come to me, James, when depression or dark thoughts consume you," Hun called back curtly.

James looked after the other in hurt, eyes quivering a bit. He clenched his teeth, eyes narrowing. "You won't even give me a _chance_ to try and bear it! I can take it better than you think I can, Hun! I can!" Hun ignored him. James's mouth quivered, and he bowed his head low, closing his eyes tightly.

"James, what's going on? What was _that_ about?" Jessie asked, coming to his side with Meowth.

"It doesn't matter," James said.

"James…" Jessie began.

"It's none of your business Jessie!" James said before breaking away from them to try and get some alone time.

Jessie tried to go after him, concerned, but Meowth quickly caught her skirt. "Jess, I t'ink we'd better let dis one go dis time," he seriously said.

"But…" Jessie began. She looked over at her partner and winced. Sighing, she bowed her head. "Alright Meowth, we'll do it your way," she murmured reluctantly. The moment they all were back at the outpost, those who needed medical attention were swept away, and those who didn't need it went their separate ways and collapsed into bed. James arrived last, Hun waiting worriedly for him until he returned. Neither spoke to one another as James arrived. Just shared a long look before James pushed passed and went to bed. Hun, head bowed, soon followed with a sigh through the nose.

PKMN

"This is the full report then?" Pierce asked Hun.

"It is," Hun confirmed.

"It defeated _all_ of you?" Pierce incredulously said.

"Perhaps you would like to take your team and see if you'll do better?" Hun answered, refusing to be cowed. "I much look forward to reading your report upon your return."

Pierce glared at Hun. Hun glared evenly back. "Geez, the sexual tension can be cut with a knife," Domino remarked. Both Pierce and Hun sweat-dropped and shot her unimpressed looks.

"There's tension, but I can assure you it's no more sexual than _your_ tension with Hun is," Pierce bit. Which was not at all, let it be well-known.

"I had Butch review the injury reports filed. He was the medic on scene as Jessie was unavailable. Her location is stated in the report. To the best of Butch's knowledge, and mine and Jessie's from what she read and saw, the details are accurate and thorough," Hun continued, focusing on Pierce again. "The steps we took in our operation have been outlined and detailed. You've received the audio and video recordings we gathered?"

"We have," Pierce confirmed. "Giovanni will be pleased. We've also received the data you were able to collect. It will be most useful to the Science and Research Division. Professor Sebastian is pleased with your efforts. The executives are _displeased_ you were unable to obtain the legendary itself."

"Understandable. Should it be required, I will face them personally," Hun said.

"Giovanni has taken your side and called them off. He trusts that what you collected won't be disappointing," Pierce said. "Excellent work, Alpha Team." Hun bowed to Pierce. Pierce bowed back.

"Well, great meeting between officers," Domino sarcastically said, sitting to the side with Attila and Tyson.

"Would you like to expand on what's been discussed?" Pierce questioned. Domino scowled but said nothing. There was nothing _to_ be said.

"Hun's been sufficiently thorough," Tyson said.

"Alright then," Pierce said.

"Any further orders or need for us?" Attila asked.

"For now, no. Though should Mew show up again, the odds are very good you'll be called upon once more. Should any legendary _besides_ Mew show up, expect a call as well," Pierce said. "Mew has become less of a priority of the boss's these days, as you're all aware. It is, however, still an important target, right up there with its fellow legendries."

"Should we expect a dressing down from Ariana?" Domino asked, grimacing at the thought.

"Attila and Hun maybe. They've caught a legendary before, so odds are she'll be on their backs for not being able to catch this one as well," Pierce answered.

"Rayqueza was a fluke, nothing more," Hun said.

"Then next time you run across Mew or any other legendary, I suggest you do your best to fluke your way into a capture again," Pierce stated. He saluted. They saluted back and went to join the others.

PKMN

The others, waiting, looked nervously up. "What did he say?" Jessie asked.

"Are we in trouble?" James uneasily questioned.

"No. They're satisfied with what data we _did_ collect," Hun answered.

"Den no one's gettin' de axe?" Meowth hopefully asked.

"Not as far as we can tell," Attila replied.

"So, then we succeeded?" Jessie said hopefully, standing up. "Are we going after it again?"

" _You're_ eager," Tyson said.

"I want answers from that wretched little beast," Jessie replied. "Answers about… about my mother…"

"Chasing those answers nearly got us _all_ killed," Domino said, glaring at her.

"Humph. Then don't follow me," Jessie said.

"Jessie, we _can't_ go after Mew alone," James protested.

"I agree with Jimbo. We do _dat_ and we're liable ta end up like your mom," Meowth said.

"With or without you two I'll get my answers one day," Jessie said.

"Don't let that day be today. Please," James pled, taking her hands in his and giving her a beseeching look.

Jessie hesitated then sighed, bowing her head. "Fine," she reluctantly relented.

"So, what's our next move?" Butch asked.

"We're free to do what we will. There are no further orders. However, be on standby," Hun answered. "For now, we have time to recover ourselves and prepare for the next job." The others nodded in understanding.

Days Later

Back at headquarters, Hun faced Giovanni. "You took a risk, Hun, in endorsing those nincompoops. Luckily for you it paid off," the boss said.

"Yes sir," Hun replied.

"Have you given any thought to the other mission we talked about? The malamar?" Giovanni asked. Hun was quiet. "Think harder," Giovanni soon said, frowning a bit. Hun nodded in agreement. "Now go. And send in James, should you see him."

"For what reason?" Hun asked.

"Is it your business?" Giovanni replied.

"More than you know," Hun answered, not wavering.

The two stared each other down. Soon a smirk crossed Giovanni's lips. "Not this time, Hun. However, I will assure you it's not with malicious intent I request his presence. In fact, it will be quite beneficial to him and Jessie."

Hun shifted, not impressed with the response, but soon relented. "Yes sir," the officer agreed, saluting.

"Dismissed," Giovanni said. Hun bowed and left to find James.

PKMN

It wasn't long before James made his appearance, nervously peering in the door. "Um, boss?" he timidly and uneasily asked.

"Enter James. I suppose Hun is mother-henning outside my door?" Giovanni asked. James flushed and didn't respond. "I'll assume that means you don't know but do in fact suspect as much."

"Yes sir," James said.

"Hun is quite fond of you," Giovanni remarked.

"Yes sir," James answered.

"Your mentor took a big risk in endorsing you, Jessie, and Meowth like that," Giovanni said. "You might not have liked to see what would have happened had Hun's trust been ill-placed."

"You're bluffing!" James exclaimed, sounding a bit scared at that. He immediately bit his tongue, cursing himself for speaking out of place. "I-I mean…" he began.

"Breathe. It's nice to see you _can_ grow a backbone," Giovanni bit.

James sweat-dropped. "Yes sir," he mumbled in embarrassment.

"You and your teammates did well," Giovanni said. "However, the report of the incident disturbs me. Jessie went after Mew alone and was injured in the battle, as I recall?"

"Um, s-something like that?" James answered a bit uncertainly.

"I was unhappy to learn how close she was to suffering her mother's fate," Giovanni said. James was quiet. Silently Giovanni summed him up. "I'm going to return something to you, James. To the both of you. The only reason I am doing this is so the next time you come up against a powerful psychic type, you will have a proper means of defense against it and be better able to defend yourselves and each other." Giovanni pulled out a box with four pokeballs inside, sliding them over

James gasped, eyes widening. "Sir, are these…?" he hopefully asked.

"Yes. The pokémon you collected in Unova. They will be more useful in your hands, I feel, than here. Take them. And take particularly good care of Jessie as well. The loss of her mother was a great blow to this organization. I don't want history repeating again, do you understand? You will do everything in your power to protect her," Giovanni said.

"Without fail, sir! Always," James vehemently replied, fists clenching in determination.

"And James, if you fail, it will be on your head entirely no matter _what_ price your protector is willing to pay," Giovanni warned. James stiffened and swallowed nervously. "Now take these and go," the boss ordered.

"Yes sir!" James replied, saluting. Quickly he took the four pokeballs and bowed to the man, bolting without waiting to be dismissed. Giovanni frowned in annoyance but let it go.

PKMN

James shut the door behind him and breathed a sigh of relief. He spotted Hun eyeing him dubiously and frowned. "You heard him. Entirely on _my_ head, not yours," he stated firmly. Hun raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised at the vehemence in James's statement. "That especially means no making yourself a bargaining chip."

"Very well. I won't, however, refuse to help you should the worst happen," Hun said.

"If something happens to Jessie because of me, I'd _rather_ you let what's coming to me come," James replied, looking grieved at even the _idea_ of failing Jessie and losing her.

"Hmm," Hun hummed in response.

"Have further orders come in from anywhere?" James asked.

"No. For now it's back to the day in and day out," Hun answered.

"Oh," James said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"You and Jessie can go back to establishing Rocket throughout the regions," Hun said.

"And crossing the twerp and whatever group of friends he happens to have along with him, then being blasted off," James said.

"You, Jessie, and Meowth must quite like their punishment if you keep going back," Hun said.

"Did you just tease me?" James asked, sounding surprised. Hun didn't answer, playing oblivious. James frowned. "Laugh it up," he grumbled.

"I don't laugh," Hun answered.

James frowned at his surrogate big sibling, unimpressed. "Then whatever's the equivalent of it to you," he bit.

"You're learning," Hun said. "Be safe out there in the field, little brother. Good luck."

"You too," James said. Hun saluted. James saluted back. With that Hun left. James sighed and went to find Jessie. He smiled once more. He couldn't wait to see his Unova pokémon again, and he knew Jessie would be thrilled as well. The gang was all getting back together again. He couldn't wait to take them out into the field. The day in and day out maybe wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
